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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28365294">Why So Jaded?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Candyholic85/pseuds/Candyholic85'>Candyholic85</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Incredibles (Pixar Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A bit of an age difference, Aged up characters, Assets &amp; Handlers, Corporate Espionage, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Love Triangle, Modern AU, Safe Sane and Consensual, Smut, Spy Invisigirl, Still</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:48:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>127,407</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28365294</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Candyholic85/pseuds/Candyholic85</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ten years after the events in the movies yet in a modern setting.<br/>Violet Parr as Invisigirl, has since disappeared from the public eye several years ago. She became a protégé to none other than Mirage and has had an incredibly successful career still working for The Agency but working as a spy and agent behind the scenes and foiled more Villains without anyone but The Agency ever knowing that she was the one who foiled them. However Superhero Work has it's price- mentally, emotionally and most of all physically and now Invisigirl has to come out of the shadows and work one last job as a public handler for an aristobrat, genius, billionaire, playboy- Mr. Phillip Sebastian who has his own tricks and agenda and requests Invisigirl specifically. Which in turn- put's her back on the radar and put's her under an iron clad contract with not just The Agency but with Mr. Sebastian. And it's this one last job that will be the answer to all of Violet Parr's problems. After this, she can disappear for good and never, ever, be found again. It's a three year contract and she is already a year in and everything is going perfectly.<br/>Until- Buddy Pine decides to try his hand at corporate espionage. His target? Phillip Sebastian.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Invisigirl - Relationship, Violet Parr/Buddy "Syndrome" Pine, Violet Parr/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Why So Jaded?</p>
<p>Chapter 1</p>
<p>Buddy Pine tried to take a calming breath as he continued to work the safe, inside was gold and jewels and other precious things he could care less about. But in the far corner, in an unassuming box would be the nanochip to end all nanochips. It would give <em> IRize </em> all the edge it would ever need on the market. But the more he fought with this stupid safe combination biometric lock, the more frustrated he felt. The biometrics? Easy to fake and duplicate- it was basically a cake walk for him but getting the right three numbers on the combination? Ironically, almost impossible it seemed. It shouldn't be this difficult. <em>But it was</em>. He had built an empire in his relatively short lifetime of just 31 years on this earth and he was on his way to building a second that would dwarf the first. But a damn combination safe lock? It was practically laughing in his face and taunting his defeat at him and he was ready to bash it with his head or just laser the damn thing open and he was so focused on opening it, he didn't notice how the hairs on his arms and neck suddenly rose up to stand on end but the chill down his spine finally pulled him out of his hyper focus which gave him pause.</p>
<p>"I figured I would find you here," Invisigirl accused only a second later as she dropped her invisibility as she leaned her back against the wall next to the safe and casually folded her arms in front of her, watching him closely while putting on an air of amused disinterest as Buddy nearly jumped out of his skin and had a heart attack before he took a moment to realize what was happening and who exactly had snuck up on him before he recognized his new companion.</p>
<p>"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that <em> Invisigirl </em>," Buddy chastised as he stopped for a moment, seeing if she was going to stop him or arrest him or something.</p>
<p>In a decade or so she had gone from tween to fully realized Super but she wasn't always walking in her parent's footsteps. In fact very few people even knew where she really stood on the Superhero/Villain or even antihero line mostly because she never did any press or appearances. She had no merch, no public presence and other than foiling a few public villains, she liked to keep her work all behind the scenes and very secretive, if not quite clandestine. She was more of a secret agent and a spy than a superhero and in reality she had done countless jobs without the villains even realizing she was ever involved at all and the few who did realize who had foiled them, rarely got to live long enough to tell anyone who had taken them down, but word had still come out, whispered among closest of allies on both sides. Enough to build a dangerous and lethal reputation among Supers and Villains and even antiheroes alike. It was like she was a ghost most of the time. </p>
<p>Besides, she wasn't even supposed to be here, she was supposed to be half a world away with <em> him </em>, her employer and Buddy’s real competition and target, but who was sadly, one of many. Only about a year ago, there was a paparazzi picture that popped up of her as an assistant of her current employer and it was the first time she had shown up on any radar in the last several years. And it had been an old colleague that had even brought it to Buddy's attention and ever since Buddy had noticed she got closer and closer to her boss to the point it was rumored that she was his right hand woman if not one woman security detail even though her employer was still guarded by a full security team. A rumor also sprang up that she was also his steady girlfriend because she was his shadow and he never went anywhere without her and coincidentally, it was also the same man who owned the safe he was trying to crack and who had become Buddy’s number 1 rival after his fall from grace a decade earlier. Buddy would have to fire his trackers, they were completely useless now.</p>
<p>"Actually you technically sneaked up on me, I've been here the whole time, and that thing you do with your tongue when you're really concentrating is kinda cute," Invisigirl countered in dry sarcasm with an air of teasing as she examined her gloves, looking for imperfections even though she had carefully crafted her look so that even in the smallest details, she was immaculate. Even her suit had changed. Instead of the traditional red and black of her family, she was in holographic black with sheens and shimmers of the colors of the rainbow with ultraviolet accents and even his eyes could see the brilliant nano armor built into the ethereal fabric that looked remarkably like snake scales. It had been Edna's greatest creation yet and Violet wore it like a second skin. Her long black hair was straightened and even her hair had a super glossy silky sheen as it laid over her shoulder since she had swept it to lay there. She had been growing it out so that it would hit the small of her back and top of her butt when she wore it down, accentuating her gorgeous hourglass figure. While her mother had been bottom heavy and her father had been top heavy. She was perfectly balanced between the two and if anything, ideally and beautifully balanced and proportional, if not dangerously curvy herself and was now a stunning beauty in and out of her suit apparently. Her thick long eyelashes delicately fluttered as she blinked and the wicked curve to her grin was as disarming as her big gorgeous doe eyes in that deep but brilliant shade of violet- that Buddy felt he could get lost in for millennia but her eyes had many years ago- lost their innocence but gained a sense of worldliness, wisdom and discernment as she looked from her glove back over to his face with a serene if not expectant look on her coquettish features. If Buddy didn't know of her prior, he would think she was the real thief in this situation, if not his competition to get into the safe. And her relaxed posture was clearly non threatening even though he could discern everything about her was in fact, <em> a threat </em>.</p>
<p>But Buddy took her banter and her posture as a sign that she wasn't going to stop him so he continued working the dial, trying to crack the safe and they were silent for a moment as she made no motion that would suggest she was leaving anytime soon as she appeared to settle in and the only sounds to be heard was their breathing. Invisigirl's was calm and even, while Buddy's betrayed just how worked up he was over this combination part of the lock. </p>
<p>"You know, I never thought you would ever be the kind of guy who would do his own dirty work, I thought with this kind of thing you usually used a variety of accomplices, if not some little device or machine, what happened? Your safe cracker device is broken? " Invisigirl instigated as she gave his work a dismissive glance before her eyes traveled up his hands to his arms to the rest of him. Gone was his old suit and eccentric hair style. He was simply wearing black tactical gear and his hair was much shorter, slicked back and still handsome as her eyes took notes of his extensive scarring that even she could see he had been trying to fix with lots plastic surgery so he looked more or less like himself as she refolded her arms loosely under her chest and instead appreciated the painting on the adjacent wall, the glass covering the priceless art giving her the perspective she wanted so that she could look like she was appreciating the art instead of actively watching him as she waited for him to figure out that safe combination as she mentally wondered if she just opened the safe herself to save him this excruciating ordeal because the guy was clearly getting even more flustered now that he had an audience which she thought was telling.</p>
<p>"As a matter of fact, it is. But if you want a job done right, you do it yourself." Buddy managed to answer as he tried to focus on the task at hand as he noticed that answer gave her wicked grin a deeper curve.</p>
<p>"It sounds like you haven't tried to crack a safe in your life, are you even trying to crack it or are you trying to break the locking mechanism by zeroing in on all of those false contact points or will you keep twisting that thing until your fingers fall off?" Invisigirl further instigated as her boredom began to tax her patience. He was supposed to still be a genius. He should have had it by now. She knew she was being distracting but this was bordering on ludicracy.  </p>
<p>"I don't suppose you know the combination?" Buddy drawled, getting annoyed and frustrated with himself that he was getting so flustered by her distracting and alluring presence, let alone the damn lock.</p>
<p>"Of course I do, the combination is your birthday, the creator is <em>a</em> <em>big fan</em> of yours, perhaps one of your biggest, but I'm sure if you simply asked him for the nanochip, he would have given it to you rather than you going through all this trouble of stealing it from him," Invisigirl answered.</p>
<p>"I didn't know your boyfriend was the sharing type," Buddy quipped as he turned the dial with now deft fingers, opening it now with ease. Invisigirl snorted a laugh and shook her head.</p>
<p>"Well at least my cover is intact," she alluded as she pushed off the wall and stretched a bit- bringing her arm over her head and stretching her shoulders and neck. "By the way it's the box on the left, not the right," She added as she began to walk away, flipping her hair off of her shoulder to her back as a cascade of soft silky black hair began to hang down her back as she gave him one last look over her shoulder to make sure he actually got the nanochip and nothing else.</p>
<p>"Wait a minute, you're just going to let me get away with this?" He asked incredulously.</p>
<p>"Yeah, it's not my fault you broke in on my vacation when I'm supposed to be in..Barcelona? Or is it Madrid? Is that where your goons think I am? By the way, you need to get new ones, they don't blend in at all and their loyalty is flimsy at best, they report their tabs that they keep on you to <em> him </em> before they ever report your tabs on him to you because his pockets are deeper than yours and who doesn't like to collect at least two paychecks for the same work?" Invisigirl divulged as she continued to lazily saunter away, her hips swaying in a near hypnotizing rhythm that had almost completely distracted Buddy from the safe altogether.</p>
<p>Buddy narrowed his eyes at the contents of the safe, it would be something he would deal with later. "Wait, so he's not your boyfriend?" Buddy inquired as he stowed the nanochip safely away and locked the safe up again before catching up to her and walking beside her for a bit.</p>
<p>Invisigirl gave him a side glance. "<em> Not even close </em>, he has a thing for the thin, ballerina- runway model types, uses them faster than Kleenex," Invisigirl answered flippantly with a waive of her delicate and slender fingers before turning a corner and opening a door to an office and walking over to the window, opening it and getting ready to jump out.</p>
<p>"You're jumping?" Buddy inquired knowing that his exit route was eerily similar.</p>
<p>"Again. <em> Not even close </em> ," Invisigirl practically laughed as she tapped on the device in her ear, a sliding door to a small hovercraft opened right in front of them as the outline of it began to warp the view around it as it moved closer to her. "You didn't think I'm the only thing capable of disappearing did you? I would offer you a ride but, something tells me you already have one, see you around <em> Syndrome </em>," Invisigirl bid him with a mock salute as she gracefully hopped from the window sill to the waiting door and into the aircraft.</p>
<p>"Hey, haven't you heard?<em> Syndrome</em> <b><em>died</em></b>, like a decade ago, he got pulled into a jet turbine. Horrible painful death. He ain't coming back from the dead." He called after her which made her pause and turn to look at him curiously.</p>
<p>"Did he? Well in that case. Good riddance to him then, the world's a much better place without him." She called back before the door closed and vanished completely again. The only evidence that it was gone was a stiffer than normal breeze. Buddy could just barely hear it fly away and felt his stomach collect a few butterflies as a smile bloomed on his face. <em> A jaded </em> Invisigirl was a sexy Invisigirl and she knew it. Color him intrigued, if not quite impressed as he wondered if he was one of the first to ever get to see her in action and live to tell about it. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Contracts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The truth of our characters current circumstances and what they've done to arrive there.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter 2</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A decade can be a long time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That much time can change a person, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse and sometimes it just makes you grow up, mature you and give you perspective.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A decade ago, Bartholomew Maximillian Pine aka Buddy Pine- had built an empire fueled by his hatred and resentment for Supers and more importantly Mr. Incredible. He had become successful, powerful, on a scale beyond imagination. His creations helped topple governments, weaponize vast armies and made him more money then he could ever hope to spend in a thousand lifetimes. And with Mirage by his side, he had it all at the relatively young age age of 21.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A decade ago, Violet Parr was coming to terms with her powers, was coming into her own and finding her footing in life. She was learning to bear the load that all Supers carry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But a decade can be a long time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a decade, you can see the empire you built be turned against you in a flash before it's dismantled into pieces that can never be put back together again and the people who you thought you could trust turn on you then leave you and realize their own agendas before you found yourself trying to start over and rebuild with some of the pieces you had managed to scrape together. No small feat and one made harder by extensive injuries, in not just a physical sense, but a mental and emotional and physiological sense as you attempt to rebuild yourself just as much as you rebuild your empire. Letting go of old grudges and hate in an effort to accept change and the present in order to have a future. And that is where Buddy Pine had currently found himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And a decade can be a long time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a decade you can see things that make you question yourself, your morals, your loyalties, your career and sense of right and wrong. Make you resent the burden placed on you by your parents, by your siblings and peers, your superiors, by everyone around you, and worse, make you resent the very ones who put that burden there. You got to see first hand how the world was rarely black and white and everything was a shade of gray and how even when you want to do the right thing and <em>try</em> to do the right thing, no good deed goes unpunished. You're struck and reminded over and over again by how profoundly fickle it all was. And how you can rise to popularity one moment and fall the next, like the waves of the sea, rising and falling and rising again as cycles began anew and how even the most altruistic super has their price. And more importantly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what yours was</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You learned who your true friends were, as well as your enemies. And most importantly that the only one you could truly count on was yourself when you get pushed past your breaking point several times over and who you needed to pull you back from the edge over and over again. You become jaded and disillusioned yet worldly and discerning from your experiences and recognize patterns and cycles remarkably well. When you see enough shit go down and get covered up and how when people are wealthy and powerful enough, or hell, even talented, famous or important enough they can get away with literal murder if not atrocities that would make God himself shudder. You learn that justice was a joke but vengeance was attainable if not valid and very understandable, if not sympathetically so. Which can sadly- make you even more valuable and sought after and you become the best at what you do, even when you had no intention of being so. Until you realized you didn't have to play by anyone's rules except your own, in fact, you didn't have to play their little game at all and sometimes the smartest thing was to walk away when you had had enough and your sense of self preservation was the biggest instinct you cultivated in yourself and was sometimes the only thing that kept you alive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That's where Violet found herself now. Not necessarily at a crossroads, but simply a spot on a map. She had been pulled back into this Super world a little over a year ago but it was supposed to be her </span>
  <em>
    <span>last job</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It was supposed to be an easy one, a babysitter post for a genius, billionaire playboy that had taken Buddy's place in the weaponized technology field. Only the big difference was Buddy did this all on his own, while her current employer had bought some of the pieces of Buddy's empire and was very much at the powers that be- beckon call and he was a master at catering to all of them so that he had no governmental resistance or interference world wide. So that the only ones in his way was his competition in his various markets from technology, science, medicine and most lucratively- weapons and while his ego was huge, it wasn't as haughty as Buddy's had been and if Violet had placed a bet, she would say he was low grade Super himself, only his power was the charm and disarm anyone and gain their trust and help them feel safe so they turned vulnerable and honest and even she was not completely immune to him and his powers. It's how he learned who her true identity was and was able to get to know the real her as well as he did. But for every take, there is a give because she in turn, got to learn more about him than anyone else did and thus, bred their closeness that they both got to enjoy and Phillip had sworn on his life and the lives of his family, that he would never betray her as long as she never betrayed him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Phillip Edward Sebastian the Fifth was a European Aristobrat who had turned his family's modest fortune but grand history to his absolute advantage and with smart investing and playing the stock market, he had used that modest fortune to turn it into unimaginable wealth and power and was now on the cutting edge of all things electronics, medicine and far beyond and he had asked for Violet in particular because of her history with espionage, corporate and otherwise and the like. He was willing to pay her 15 times more for her services as his handler than he had offered anyone else and in just the short year she had been working with him, she had risen through the ranks, and was now not just as his right hand woman and personal assistant and she was a one woman security detail who he trusted with his life, his privacy, his confidence and confidentiality because of her skillset and ability and once her own bank accounts swelled to the point that she used her former mentor's own financial staff to make sure that even in the worst case scenarios, her safety nets had safety nets and she had back up plans for her back up plans and contingency plans for her contingency plans several layers deep and learned to buy stocks in what he bought and sold what he sold on her own since he never hid that information from her and through that alone, she was one of the more independently wealthy superheroes and she ensured that not just herself but her family would be safe and taken care of, which, in the grand scheme of things, was all she ever wanted and cared about. So she was happy and content, </span>
  <em>
    <span>for now</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That's why Violet could easily retire after this job. Plus she still collected her super hero paycheck. She wasn't the only one getting two paychecks for the same work, if not multiple checks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Phillip had always been the ideal employer, sure he had his own trust issues and paranoia, not to mention, his own daredevil antics and recklessness. But he respected her boundaries because she respected his and their relationship worked as beautifully and seamlessly as it did because they respected each other and Phillip treated her better than he treated everyone else because he knew that Violet, ultimately- didn't want or need him or his money or power and didn't ask too many questions because she didn't need to know the answers and kept her personal life very separated from her work life and didn't judge and kept her opinions to herself as closely as she kept her head and her wits. Which were all things he respected, admired and even adored and their relationship even blossomed enough to include certain "benefits" and Violet was the only one who could use Phillip as her personal fuck toy without the hassle and mess of a committed, monogamous romantic relationship and that kind of emotional entanglements even though Phillip still held out hope that at the end of her "servitude" she would stay with him because he had grown to rely so much on her and it would take a team of a hundred people to do what she did for him and do it as flawlessly as she did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before this job, Violet had disappeared in the far east- Hong Kong specifically, with a large city of over seven million, it was easy to disappear into but easy enough to spot agents from a mile away. She figured her superiors spent at least a million dollars trying to find her and once they did, they made her an offer she couldn't refuse and found and named and gave- her price, as their most highly sought after and paid agent. She was 24 now and would retire in just two more years at the age of 26 into a very comfortable life as a multimillionaire. But even she had to admit, the urge to do Super work had been getting to her while she had disappeared before The Agency had tracked her down since she had been 'in the wind' for over a year after a particularly brutal assignment gone to shit. But saving people and being a hero, even an invisible one, was an itch that most Supers, even when under ban, was impossible not to scratch. Her father was living proof of that. But she had learned from her parent's mistakes. She had learned to be careful. But being careful and playing it safe, while inherently easy for her, was getting mundane. She had taken up a few hobbies, learned a few languages along with some invaluable skills so that she could, in theory, go anywhere and support herself and blend in with any crowd and she was lucky that while she was in Phillip’s employment, she could still do a few hero jobs of her choice on the side and Phillip’s technology had made those jobs a breeze. But she was smart enough to not become dependent on any of the technology provided to her, either by The Agency or Phillip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Invisigirl tapped on a screen as she flew her secret spy plane back to Spain to contact her employer, Mr. Phillip Sebastian.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you have a report Vi?" Phillip asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, Mr. Pine himself has taken the nanochip, just like you predicted and is on multiple cameras doing so, he took both baits so I'm now en-route to you." Violet answered as she took off her mask and tied her hair up, revealing flawless makeup under the mask as her lipstick changed from an ultra violet to match her suit to a soft dusty rose on her pouty lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What are the chances that he will follow?" Phillip furthered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"At this point, medium to high." Violet estimated with a shrug as the plane achieved the proper altitude for a transatlantic flight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Excellent. Well we have him dead to rights, so he's as good as ours anyway." Phillip grinned victoriously as he rewatched the feed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So hopefully that objective can be fulfilled sooner than later," Violet assumed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We will talk about that when you get back, see you in a few hours." He placated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Understood," Violet said as she closed the channel since the plane was on auto pilot. She wanted to get changed into civilian attire and hopefully get a chance to relax and possibly take a nap before she would have to play babysitter again as she popped a few pills of very high level painkillers that would make Oxycodone look like children's Tylenol. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Buddy had made his escape and had arrived back at his compound, a different island this time since the 'authorities' literally blew up the last one. But while Buddy was getting a bit desperate, he wasn't stupid. He installed the nanochip into an ordinary laptop that wasn't connected in any way to the internet in case there was some kind of signal embedded. Fifteen seconds later he found himself staring at a melting piece of trash on fire before he put the fire out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And that's why we don't just hook things up into the system." He muttered aloud as he retrieved the other nano chip, the one that was on the left, he had taken both, just in case she was leading him astray. He picked up the dead computer with thick work gloves and simply dumped it into the trash and retrieved another, turning it on and repeating the process. This time, it worked perfectly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, it appears you didn't steer me wrong, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this time</span>
  </em>
  <span>," he mused as he retrieved the nanochip and put it into his system. Since the 'incident' aka him almost being completely shredded by a jet engine, his ability to create new technology had been hindered greatly. But he could reverse engineer anything and make it better, and that was his intention now. Once he had all the specs down it would be difficult to put the nanochip back along with another dummy one but not impossible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Except when he came back a week later, it was a trap. The moment he opened that safe, there were more guards on him than he could count coming almost out of nowhere. He was immediately detained in a holding cell in the basement of the building and stripped of all his gear but thankfully they still let him keep his original clothes on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buddy wondered who would be coming, would it be the local police? The FBI? The CIA? He ended up waiting a few days when Phillip Sebastian came in himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good morning Mr. Bartholomew Maximillian Pine, I understand that you like to go by "Buddy" less formal." Phillip greeted formally with a smug smirk on his handsome face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good morning Mr. Sebastian," Buddy mirrored warily as he looked down to see the hairs on his arm raise as if the static electricity in the room was getting charged as he wondered if Invisigirl was with Phillip, in fact he would bet on it as he glanced at the space around Phillip to see if he could see any distortions and he couldn't see any but he could sense her the way he could sense Mirage in the past, the way she had taught him to anyway, and realized Invisigirl was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so close</span>
  </em>
  <span> to him, he could reach out and touch her if he tried but he got the sense she had an invisible weapon targeted at his head and knew that if he attempted to, he'd be dead by the time he made contact with her. His heart still stung at Mirage's betrayal which had hurt him the worst and when he was seen how she married some other billionaire playboy, it had dumped his ass into one of the worst depressions of his life and almost completely broke him, but the lessons she taught him were invaluable and he was finding himself grateful for them right in this moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mr. Pine, you are either really smart or really stupid, you had the nanochip, why didn't you just keep it? Why risk putting it back?" Phillip inquired curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I need a lawyer," Buddy answered firmly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why? You're not under arrest. The authorities haven't been called, however if you don't cooperate with me I will be forced to contact them but for now, let's leave them out of this." Phillip said dismissively.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What do you want?" Buddy asked wearily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I want you to work for me, not against me." Philip answered simply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I refuse to work for anyone but myself." Buddy defied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider? You would have your own lab and assistants and an unlimited budget, you could set your own hours and have some say so in your own salary and have access to all the compounds and technology you could ever dream of." Phillip proposed. "You would even earn a high percentage of all sales of whatever you create in collaboration with SEB Enterprises, you'll even get press for IRize and all your other little corporations, shells or no and more opportunities for your collaboration with me and my company and all of my associates and other collaborators, of which we share a surprising amount of them." Phillip generously offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So what's the catch?" Buddy asked with a subtle tilt of his head in Invisigirl's direction and just barely registered the feel of his hair brush up against something. She was right next to him and his gut feeling told him she had a weapon was pointed at his head as he felt her withdraw just a little to keep from getting too close.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You will have to work for me for a minimum of 3 years. You will stay on campus at all times unless accompanied by a security detail and you will be monitored at all times in all things." Phillip informed him solemnly. "So it's either this or some high security super prison for 20-life. Because the evidence against you is </span>
  <em>
    <span>pretty damning</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Phillip specified. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Can you give me some time to think it over?" Buddy inquired.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course, take all the time you need, simply knock on the door when you've made a decision." Phillip replied as he got up and left the room as Buddy watched the hairs on his forearms lay back down before another meal was delivered to him, this time it was breakfast. At least Phillip knew how to treat a guest. Even a detained one because Buddy wasn't in shackles and was being fed decent food at least and his little one room cell, while bare, was surprisingly comfortable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Three hours later Buddy knocked on the door and a few minutes later Phillip came in, ready to hear his answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll do it, however I have a few conditions of my own." Buddy started and was pleased to see Phillip nod.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I want everything in writing, I want my criminal activity erased." Buddy began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course, my lawyers are writing our contract up as we speak and any and all evidence against you and IRise will be destroyed and dissolved within the hour. Anything else?" Phillip reassured him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I will only work for you for two years, no more," Buddy specified. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Five years then because you want to negotiate the time frame. Or that 20-life in a super max prison." Phillip countered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ok fine, </span>
  <em>
    <span>three</span>
  </em>
  <span> years it is." Buddy huffed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Agreed." Phillip said as he held out his hand for a handshake. Buddy took it and shook firmly as he could have sworn he heard a huff nearby. The two left the room and walked to an elevator where a secretary was waiting for them. Her hair up in a bun and her black business jacket accentuated her tulip skirt with patterned hose and killer heels along with a pair of glasses that helped her see things most eyes could not as she used her stylus like a pen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Everything is ready Mr. Sebastian, the notary is already in conference room 12A." She informed him as she continued to work on an electronic pad diligently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Excellent, thank you Ms. Parr," Phillip replied in thanks before turning to Buddy. "Mr. Pine, I believe you already know my colleague and associate Miss Violet Parr." Phillip gestured before getting on the elevator that opened once they approached.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buddy had to do a double take, he hadn't recognized her, she was standing right in front of him and she might as well have been invisible at first. However, now that he really looked at her and took notice, she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>stunning</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Like just...knock out gorgeous, should have been a model herself beautiful. Even she could effortlessly rock the sexy assistant look but now that he saw her, he couldn't quite make himself look away. She was gorgeous even with glasses and just as breathtaking out of her suit as she had been in it and most likely, just as lethal. And just like that, those butterflies were back in his stomach, fluttering away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, we are already too well acquainted," Violet answered as she stepped on the elevator herself, standing on one side of Phillip, using him like a shield between her and Buddy as she continued to work on her tablet and actively ignored him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well I don't know about that," Buddy answered with a smirk before he could feel static electricity instantly build within the elevator as the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck rose again. Ha, he got her tell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Easy," Phillip warned Violet, his tone surprisingly gentle. Violet exhaled in a huff and Buddy felt static electricity lull, the rest of the ride was in silence, the only sound, their breathing and the dinging of the elevator. Buddy noticed her breathing was noticeably huffy and almost labored while Phillip's was calm and even until they reached the twelfth floor before Violet was the first to cross the threshold before the doors fully opened, walking quickly while Phillip walked in tandem with Buddy as Phillip subtly studied Buddy's reactions to Violet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet led the way to the conference room, she tapped her ID card against a reader and the door opened, revealing a notary and three lawyers, one of them being Buddy’s, all sitting at the table in the middle of the room with stacks of paperwork around them as Buddy was allowed to have some private council with his own lawyer who basically confirmed that it was either this or super max prison before they sat down to negotiate more terms of the contract.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buddy wasn't an idiot, he read each and every single line on those contracts before signing them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>And it took four hours, a bottle of scotch, lunch and a whole variety of snack and dessert trays.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet looked like she wanted to die of boredom despite playing a game on her tablet for most of it and couldn't get out of there fast enough when it was all over, signed and notarized by everyone. Another assistant came to escort Buddy to his new 'apartment' which had already been filled with his things that were taken from his new compound while Phillip and Violet retreated to Phillips office.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well I am so glad that didn't take too long," Violet drawled sarcastically as she crashed on the comfy couch in his office after kicking her heels off. Phillip chuckled as he tossed her a bottle of water from his mini fridge in his desk and smiled when she caught it with ease.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"He's still smart, he wanted to make sure I wasn't taking him for a complete fool," Phillip countered as he took a long pull from his own water bottle as he idly watched her stretch and relax as she reclined on his couch in a very unladylike pose, with her feet up on the arm of the couch. But he loved the fact that she felt so comfortable around him and could just be herself rather than the super secret agent she felt she had to play with him. She could just be when she was alone with him and he liked it that way. No pretenses or anything like that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you think he'll honor the contract? Or do you think he'll run the first chance he gets?" Violet inquired.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh I think as long as you're around, he'll stay right here. He looked at you at least a dozen times an hour, every move you made, he tried to catch." Phillip began as he glanced at Violet who had rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Speaking of which, I have a new assignment for you, I want you to be the liaison between him and I until the end of your contract." Phillip proposed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <b>
    <em>Hell no</em>
  </b>
  <span>," Violet immediately spat as she gave him a dirty glare.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh come on, all that means is you see him once a day for only a few minutes all the days we're stateside. Make sure he has everything he needs to keep him focused and relay messages back and forth," Phillip specified.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's what email is for." Violet retorted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But email is so impersonal," Phillip playfully argued in a mock complaint.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's exactly it, I don't want to have to deal with him any more than I absolutely have to. He did try to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill me as a child. </span>
  </em>
  <span>What kind of monster purposefully </span>
  <em>
    <span>kills kids</span>
  </em>
  <span>? I'll tell you. Him. He's that monster. He tried to kill me, my family and kidnap Jack..," She began to go into a seething rant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And take over the world, yeah I know, I was there- but, that was a lifetime ago, clearly everyone involved has changed. I mean you saw him, the man is just one failed attempt away from completely imploding. And the fact that he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>desperate </span>
  </em>
  <span>enough to steal from me </span>
  <em>
    <span>himself </span>
  </em>
  <span>says a lot." He reminded her, keeping from going into her full blown rant because he didn't want to rearrange his office...again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I still don't understand why he would stoop that low," Violet admitted as she thought that over again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I think he lost a </span>
  <em>
    <span>spark</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Phillip conjectured. Violet raised a curious brow at his choice of words. "Writers and artists have muses, engineers have sparks." Phillip explained as he came over and sat on the couch with her before he nestled her head into his lap so she could look up at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But if he's lost his </span>
  <em>
    <span>spark</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he's no good to you, it's been a decade, surely if he was going to get his '</span>
  <em>
    <span>spark</span>
  </em>
  <span>' back, don't you think he would have gotten it back by now?" Violet questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"He's searching for it, pretty hard, I've been keeping him under surveillance for the last several years once he was recognized by my software. A man can only tinker so long." Phillip soothed as he began to pet her head to calm her down further.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So he's either going to find it with you or die trying," Violet guessed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Exactly, besides, I know your past with him makes this especially hard and I am so proud of you for doing your best to put that aside and try to be professional and not kill him where he stands right now. But it's you who will have the last word in the matter. It's you who will get to decide if he lives or dies after his contract is up and inherit everything he has when we're done with him. Why do you think that contract included you as his heir apparent? Because once he dies, you and your family will get due recompense for everything he's done, he owes you and your family that much at least. You can put your big girl panties on and suck it up for two years. Then you get to spend that third year devising all the ways you want to torture him to death if you still want him dead after." Phillip soothed her as he started to pet her head, letting his own super ability lull her into a peaceful state, which worked extra strongly when he was able to touch her as she rolled over and faced him and took a deep, cleansing breath and mulled it over as she simply closed her eyes and soaked up this attention from him before she seemed to come to her own decision.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You know, if I didn't know any better I would think you were an evil mastermind," Violet teased with a smug grin as she opened her eyes and tilted her head to look up at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey now. Keep it to yourself, Edna hasn't finished my super villain suit yet," Phillip countered teasingly, causing Violet to glare at him, unimpressed by that dig. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm kidding</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I'm kidding," Phillip placated with his hands up in defeat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You better be, </span>
  <em>
    <span>ass</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Violet grumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So will you take the job or not?" Phillip asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're going to have to up my salary again, make it worth my while." Violet insisted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll match his salary 200% as your bonus salary as long as both of you are in my employment- for the "suffering" of having to deal with him and be our liaison. And to really sweeten it, how about….oh, how about I give you a percentage of whatever he touches." Phillip offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Twenty percent," Violet started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ouch, no, I'm thinking 10 at the most," Phillip frowned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Fine, fifteen, same as Mr. Pine's percentage." Violet rebutted firmly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Deal," Phillip agreed. "And you start </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span>," Phillip stipulated as he offered his hand for a shake and by now Violet knew that his handshake was as good as any contract, even one written in blood before he leaned down and kissed her sweetly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Fine," Violet caved before gave his gut a light playful punch that was barely a tap which made him recoil and hold his gut like she had really sucker punched him as his face scrunched up in pain which caused her to laugh which in turn made him beam a proud smile at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And I want it in writing by the time I get back." Violet insisted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course," He nodded in agreement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And you still owe me dinner because lunch sucked." Violet reminded him as she slipped back into her heels before going down to a different lab and got the appropriate hardware for Buddy and made her way to Buddy's floor, using her key card to get to the floor, since his floor wasn’t shown on the elevator and she had to press two floors and press her keycard to the reader to get to it. She thought it was ridiculous that he would have more than a bed and a lab let alone an entire floor full of equipment and an apartment that rivaled most penthouses but Phillip wanted to give Buddy every opportunity to succeed by making sure he stayed comfortable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She came into the lab to see him already at work. She knocked on a counterop to make her presence known so as not to startle him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How come you couldn't do that before?" Buddy asked wryly as he looked over at her as he was still putting things away in the lab section of the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Because you weren't supposed to know I was there. We have a few details we need to discus Mr. Pine." Violet began as she watched him pause and turn to face her to give her his complete attention before he started walking towards her and joined her at the island.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"First, you are never to address me as anything other than Ms. Parr and you will always conduct yourself in the utmost professional manner when dealing with me or any other employee, partner or associate of SEB Industries. I am your liaison to Mr. Sebastian himself so if there anything in particular that you need regarding your living and your work you can tell me. These are yours," Violet stated as she held up the phone and the tablet before putting them down on the counter and sliding them towards him. "My number is under speed dial one and is only supposed to be used in emergencies and for vital business needs and inquires during reasonable business hours. And I swear to God if I get any flirtation from you or heaven forbid dick pics, I will personally cut your dick off and shove it down your throat and watch you choke on it before I throw your body into another jet engine turbine and feed your remains to the rats in the subway and then inherit everything you have and sell it off at auction to the highest bidder. Any information mining or manipulations by you will be met with the same treatment. Is that understood?" Violet specified as her gaze bored through him with a look that if it could kill, he would have been dead already.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes Ma'am." Buddy nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Now, while at SEB Industries we suggest little to no contact with the outside world other than of course the contact with various associates and colleagues to complete projects. However SEB does understand that there are certain '</span>
  <em>
    <span>needs</span>
  </em>
  <span>' that only the outside world can satisfy." Violet explained as she cleared her throat and fought not to shudder and gag when she said 'needs'. "And those will be handled by the appropriate liaison which </span>
  <em>
    <span>is not me</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And that proper liaison is Leslie, she's on speed dial 2 who will also take care of anything outside of the normal business hours. Now, is there anything in particular you need or want at this time? Perhaps dinner?" She offered as she noticed the time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Dinner sounds great, as long as you will eat it with me," Buddy answered hopefully but she narrowed her eyes as he felt the static electricity build up again for a moment before she simply took a deep breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Unfortunately I have prior engagements, but you do have access to a full kitchen in the apartment side of this floor that should be well stocked, and if it is lacking feel free to create a grocery list and I will have an assistant fulfill it. We also allow take out to be delivered although anything you receive will be subjected to inspection and scans. But there is a drawer next to your fridge full of menus of all the restaurants who deliver here or you could order something online. Do you understand the terms I have dictated?" She explained as explicitly as she could and as calmly and as professionally as she could because she had to swallow all the anger and rage she felt towards him down for now because it was her job. But if he dared cross the line, she had no qualms about ending him where he stood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes," Buddy confirmed with a nod. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you have any questions?" Violet obligatorily asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Are you free for dinner tomorrow?" Buddy asked before he saw her slip her metaphoric mask on more tightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>No.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Good day Mr. Pine, good luck with your work," Violet coldly replied before turning and leaving her heels clicking in her wake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buddy smirked and went back to work. His own plan was working well.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If anyone ever read the old version of this story- the first two and a half chapters are almost the same, and have only had minor facelifts. But after the next chapter- you'll see it's a whole new story.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Always Watching</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Buddy Pine settles into life as a 'secured asset' at SEB Industries.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Part 3</p>
<p>Buddy Pine had always had more than one plan. Getting caught and working for Phillip on his dime had been his contingency plan if the nanochip thing had backfired. But he never expected Phillip to be so accommodating or so generous. But having Violet be the liaison was the icing on the cake and to have her be his heir apparent was a fitting twist considering their shared history and he had had no problems with that part of the contract. He hadn't been this productive since before the incident a decade ago. And for the last few weeks, the hours following her visits were always the most exciting as far as progress was concerned. He was finding his spark again and keeping alive and well, he even starting drafting and designing from scratch again. This was working out perfectly.</p>
<p>All he needed was <em> time </em>. Time to prove to Violet at least that he was not the same man he was a decade ago. He had been honest when he told her that Syndrome died. Because a part of himself did die that day and he had no interest in reviving him. </p>
<p>"Good morning Ms. Parr," Buddy greeted when he heard the door open at 9:00am which had been Violet's chosen time to come in the mornings. He had learned to recognize her walking pattern, it was smooth and fluid yet light and precise, almost cat like.</p>
<p>"Good morning Mr. Pine," Violet replied evenly. "Mr. Sebastian sends his congratulations on the nanochip redesign, it has increased workload by your projections exactly and has earned you an additional 1.4 million dollars as of today." Violet informed him. Happy because it had earned her the same amount as well since she and Buddy would both be getting 15% each of all the sales, leaving Phillip and his company to earn the remaining seventy percent.</p>
<p>"Excellent, what else?" Buddy inquired, knowing Violet preferred to lead with good news before delivering the bad.</p>
<p>"Mr. Sebastian now has 5 new projects to add to your ever increasing roster,." Violet informed him as she made a swiping motion from her tablet to his as his own tablet and electronics received the new project data before she rubbed at her temple and winced. </p>
<p>"You ok?" Buddy inquired as he watched her thoughtfully.</p>
<p>"Yeah, just a bad headache," Violet answered dismissively. "Now Mr. Salazar wants to know exactly how much titanium alloy you will need for the VIC project? And what tensile strength will you need to have the silicon wafers at?" She continued as she went down the list in her own tablet. </p>
<p>"I'm going to have to look over my calculations again and I'll shoot you an email with the specifics. How long have you had the headache?" Buddy inquired as he watched her closely, getting flashbacks of when Mirage had similar headaches and how much she used to suffer with them. </p>
<p>"Why does my headache matter? It's a headache, it will go away eventually and with enough Advil." Violet defended, her irritation clear in the way she seemed to snap at him because the pain was sapping every ounce of patience she had today. </p>
<p>"Supers don't usually just get headaches that can be cleared up with over the counter pain killers, they usually need something stronger, especially with your skill set as a Super, you're more likely to have inflammation in the central cortex." Buddy blurted out before looking up to see a practically seething Violet, he was at a loss as to why before it dawned on him of how he would know something like that. He could see it in her eyes, they burned a luminescent shade of ultraviolet. He could see that she wanted to kill him and the static electricity in the lab was so high the electronics started to warble and wane.</p>
<p>Violet was <em> livid </em>, how dare he have the audacity to speak of such things! She wanted to know how many supers he had lured to their deaths, how many had he interrogated or tortured and experimented on for his research before zeroing in on her family. She wanted to beat those answers out of him. She struggled not to do just that, she struggled to keep herself composed as her grip actually crushed her tablet which caused Buddy to jump and step away before she had to pull her rage back and put an emotionally void mask to her facial features as she struggled to remain in control and not kill him. </p>
<p>"If you have anything else you need for your work, you can contact my assistant, Leslie." Violet managed to bite out before turning and leaving quickly, keeping on her toes to keep her heels from making any more noise on the floors, once out of the lab she raced to the elevator and was thankful it was empty when it finally reached her. She leaned against the elevator wall once the doors closed and tried her best not to have a panic attack as she could feel the panic whirl in her chest and make it hard to breathe. These headaches were getting out of hand and were wearing her down and she cursed herself for having such an obvious and light trigger that he seemed to know exactly how to set off. She barely managed to make it to her own office to her safe room before she broke down and cried, an instinctual forcefield encompassing her like a security blanket. How could she keep acting like none of it happened and he was just another one of Phillip’s colleagues?</p>
<p>Back in the lab Buddy was kicking himself for not seeing how that could have backfired. And for the first time there was something added to his guilt, shame as he was cussing himself out for messing up so bad. </p>
<p>Meanwhile Phillip who was watching and listening to the conversation via security cameras was practically running to Violet's office. He had a hunch this would happen eventually and he had to make sure she would be ok. He got to her office and went straight to the safe room he had specifically built for her. He keyed in his code and the book shelf concealing the safe room moved away to reveal Violet sitting down and curled up in a ball, her knees to her chest as she hugged them and rocked herself, he could see she was shaking but he knew better than to try and touch her now, the forcefield around her would keep him from physically touching her. He couldn't hear her because the forcefield kept any noise she was making inside and would thus make talking to her impossible until she took it down. But what he could do is sit as close to her as possible and wait for her to notice him there.</p>
<p>After a moment she did look up to see him there and let down the forcefield before he crawled to her and put his arm around her shoulders and held her close and did everything in his power- super or not- to comfort her as she crawled into his lap and held onto him tightly. </p>
<p>"I'm sorry," He whispered into her hair as he kissed the crown of her head as she continued to sniffle into his shoulder as the other arm was wrapped tightly around her as he took up rocking her himself. He could count on one hand the number of times this had happened before and he was just grateful she let him in this time.  </p>
<p>"How did he know? How does he know shit like that? He shouldn't know that, especially about me," Violet cried, feeling vulnerable in the worst way and feeling like she was a little kid again. With that henchman as he was hunting her through the forest and was hiding in the water. She felt like she was drowning in anguish and anger and rage and hurt and heartbreak and she just wanted her dad to hug her and hold her in his big strong arms up to his massive chest and make her feel perfectly safe again but for now, Phillip’s arms and chest would have to do and she was grateful for him. </p>
<p>"I don't know, but I'll find out ok? It's going to be ok, I promise, I swear on my life it's going to be ok. Where are those pills we made for you?" Phillip asked, trying to get her to look him in the eye as he reached for her face and held it in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears and streaking mascara.</p>
<p>"I only have 2 left, I was saving them for when it got really bad." Violet tried to explain as she buried her head deeper into his chest, hoping the counter pressure would give her some relief. Phillip pulled her hair down from the bun and laced his fingers together behind her head and applied pressure into his chest, trying to help give her more relief.</p>
<p>"Does that help?" He asked.</p>
<p>"Yes, thank you Phil." Violet said in thanks as she reveled in the relief the counter pressure was providing as she did her best to regain her composure. She hated feeling like this, let alone be seen like this. But Phillip was special. He never thought less of her or think of her as weaker. It just helped him appreciate that even though she was a Super, she was still human and thus, imperfect and had weaknesses and limits. Phillip counted himself lucky to be able to witness this side of her and he had worked so hard just to get to this point with her. </p>
<p>"Now where are the pills? I'll make sure you have more before these wear off," Phillip offered. </p>
<p>"In my top left desk drawer." Violet answered before Phil managed to get up and pull her up with him before he carried her over to her desk and simply set her down on it then looked through her drawers for the meds before he found them and gave them to her as she used her coffee still on her desk to down them both. </p>
<p>"Have you been able to get any sleep lately?" He asked as he noted the dark circles under her eyes that she had tried to cover up with makeup.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I got a whole six hours last night," She answered.</p>
<p>"How much Ambian did it take to get that?" He asked worriedly. </p>
<p>"A hundred and twenty milligrams."</p>
<p>"Fuck Vi, that much should have put you in a coma." He realized. </p>
<p>"I know, but I just wanted to sleep so badly that I kept taking 2 tabs every hour until I finally fell asleep." Violet explained as she slowly got up and sat in her desk chair before letting her head rest on the desk's surface.</p>
<p>"Vi, why didn't you tell me it was getting this bad?" Phillip asked as he leaned against her desk next to her.</p>
<p>"Because there are a thousand and one other things that are more important," Violet groaned as she continued to lay her head on the desk and waited for the painkillers to kick in while she focused on not throwing up.</p>
<p>"Violet, I would not have the best doctors cooped up in a lab working 14 hour days trying to come up with the best solution possible if I didn't think that you and your health were important if not equally or even more important than my own. Promise me that you'll tell me when things are getting bad or if things get worse." Phillip urged her. </p>
<p>"Ok, ok, I promise," Violet said as she steadied her breathing, the painkillers beginning to take effect.</p>
<p>"Thank you, now I want you to do me a favor, take a few days off, go to the spa, get a massage or something and relax, read a good book and <em> don't use your powers </em>. Because the more you use them the worse this seems to get. Can you do that for me?" Phillip prodded. </p>
<p>"Yeah, I can do that, but what about Syn..Mr. Pine?" Violet asked, catching herself.</p>
<p>"Don't worry about it, I will deal with him personally if I have to and he will answer to me about this incident." Phillip placated. "And you start now, I'll go down to the lab to get you your meds, just stay here."</p>
<p>"Deal," Violet agreed as she kicked off her heels for her feet to rest.</p>
<p>Phillip went down to the lab and got Violet the special painkillers that have been designed for her and checked in on the sleep aid they had been also working on for her and got as much of that as they had as he informed them of her recent dose as the doctors rewrote the prescription. It was highly unusual for an employer to take such an intense interest in his employee but Philip considered this extremely special circumstances because Violet was so much more than an employee, she was a friend. A true one he felt and while he knew that Violet didn’t need him, he was becoming more and more dependent on her and was still hoping that when it was all said and done, she would stay with him and while they both had agreed not to pursue a romantic relationship, it was awfully hard for him to keep things strictly business between them. Especially after that first incident when they had been locked in his safe room for a week. It got very physical then and he had found himself craving her more and more and he had time to win her over. He also dealt with anything and everything having to do with Violet he did himself. It's not that he didn't trust his other secretaries and assistants but, he felt better knowing that because he handled it, it was done right.</p>
<p>He saw her off before going to Buddy's lab himself.</p>
<p>"Mr. Sebastian, I was wondering when you would come and see me," Buddy remarked, despite the slight nervous edge to his voice. He had been wondering what ramifications there would be for upsetting Phillip's little 'pet', remembering what lengths he used to go to when it came to anyone or anything that messed with Mirage. </p>
<p>"Well Mr. Pine, it seems you've been busy, making exceptional hardware, offending my staff," Phillip listed off casually, but there was quiet rage to his voice that Buddy immediately picked up on.</p>
<p>"I didn't mean to offend her. I just noticed she was in pain, I didn't mean to upset her," Buddy defended as Phillip took a long hard look at him.</p>
<p>"I'm going to ask you something and I need you to be honest in your answer. Do you have any design or intention of bringing harm in any way, shape or form to Ms. Parr?" Phillip gravely questioned. </p>
<p>"Of course not," Buddy answered.</p>
<p>"But given your history, especially with the Parr's..." Phillip began. </p>
<p>"I know, I'm the last person who should be put anywhere close to any of them but things change, especially in the time that’s passed." Buddy countered.</p>
<p>"I'm aware that you know a lot about Supers, and I know better than to ask exactly how you know..." Phillip began. </p>
<p>"<em> Natalia </em> ," Buddy interrupted. "Natalia, or <em> Mirage </em> rather, had similar powers that Violet has, Tali suffered from extremely painful and debilitating headaches too, they were so bad she used to "joke" about drilling a hole into her head to relieve the pressure. Whenever she used her powers, especially her invisibility extensively. Supers are wired differently, they even have extra brain components, Supers who can turn themselves invisible, tend to have larger central cortex's. It puts pressure on the rest of the brain, that's why the headaches are so intense and hard to cure." Buddy explained. "That's how I know about it. I almost had a cure too at several points. But everything I came up with impaired her powers and she always needed to use her powers. <em> Always </em>. The Agency..." Buddy began as he did his best to fight the tears that came to sting at the corner of his eyes at all the memories came flooding back and what surprised him was to feel all that rage he had against The Agency rear it's ugly head as he fought to remain composed and in control of himself and his emotions.</p>
<p>"The Agency knew damn well it was hurting her, hell it was killing her and they didn’t give a single fuck. <em> The needs of the many always outweigh the needs of a few </em> right? And it’s not like she didn’t want to do the missions, she always did and it made her happy to feel useful and helpful and as long as I could come up with the right painkiller for the headaches and keep her in the field, she was happy. All Supers, the good, the bad and everything in between, they always have an itch that only Super work can scratch. They just sent her on mission after mission all while she was working for me, because she had the skill set to be useful in the more "clandestine" work and out of the public eye. To the point the villains never knew she was ever involved in their downfall. No matter what I did, whatever I provided them or tried to find other Supers to take her place on all these missions, they liked to remind me and her who she really belonged to and it took turning on me and exposing me to the fullest and deepest degree for her to break free of them and finally get the out she needed. I lost track and count of how many times and all the different ways I proposed to her, but she never accepted because she knew that The Agency could turn on her if she didn’t walk the line and it would have made both of us targets. Especially when Supers were under ban, she was used even though she was relatively young when all that happened because she was older than me by a decade and she was barely a teenager then. Of course she’s fine now, or so I assume. She’s perfectly fine being a trophy wife for just another rich, powerful billionaire playboy because there's so many of us these days and I used to lay awake at night and wonder what he had that I didn’t that got her to say yes to him but not me." Buddy revealed. Remembering how he used to cradle her in his arms and rock her and squeeze her head to give her counterpressure and swear he would find a cure if it was the last thing he did and the beautiful but fatally flawed relationship they had. But it was still...never enough.</p>
<p>“I see how you are with her. You depend on her <em> a lot </em> . And as much as you like seeing the way I react to her and act in her presence. She’s practically your everything and I know that you know that you’re pretty screwed without her. It would probably take what? A hundred? Two hundred people to do all the things she does on her own by herself. She’s irreplaceable. Funny isn’t it? We get all this money and power and make ourselves as desirable and <em> needed </em> as possible while individually independent as we can be, then a girl comes along and she makes it all feel useless and worthless and they make you realize that the world doesn’t revolve around you and that you aren’t the most important person in the room, let alone the world or the universe- <em> that they are </em> . And no matter what we do, what we give, what we invent, how we try to help-  at the end of the day and when all is said and done, <em> they don’t need us </em> , and it stings like a motherfucker. But if you’re lucky- they’ll want you and if they want you and genuinely care about you, then that’s all that matters.” Buddy confessed, not sure why he was telling Phillip all this. But he felt... <em> absolved </em> to a degree to get it off his chest and he wished with all his might that someone had told him all this fifteen years ago.</p>
<p>“If you had a time machine, would you do anything differently?” Phillip asked. </p>
<p>“Absolutely. I’d do everything differently. I would have dropped my grudge against Mr. Incredible at a very early age and recognized that I had a very unhealthy obsession with him and gotten my ass into therapy much sooner that I did. I still would have built the empire. But I would have tried <em> not </em> buying Tali. Because that was my fatal mistake, I tried to buy her with a salary that almost equaled mine. I got her stock options, I got her investments and I got her so set up that she technically didn’t need me or anyone else but I did it because I didn’t know how else to try to woo her because I will admit I'm not the most handsome, charming guy and I overcompensate and I would have never used her the way I did and I would have just let her be, no strings, no contracts, nothing. Just let her do whatever she wanted. I realized after the fact that she never really let herself really be her true self around me. The line between Natalia and Mirage was pretty blurred to the point, I never knew the difference between the two and I was foolish enough to think they were one and the same. The altruistic Supers are always the same person in and out of the supersuit. But the best ones, the most effective ones are the ones that you would never suspect are their Super persona.” Buddy revealed.</p>
<p>“So what do you advise?” Phillip asked thoughtfully. </p>
<p>“Never make your relationship with her about the money or the power or any of that bullshit. And don’t make the possibility of staying with you about what she could earn or inherit or anything like that, that's ultimately an insult to their character. Because our greed doesn’t rub off on people like them, they're surprisingly content with little, it comes from their upbringing which more often than not is really humble. In fact make it effortlessly easy for her to walk away from you at any point in time without any retaliation, without backlash and every good thing you've ever promised, make good on it and make it so that the only reason she would stay is what she genuinely feels for you. Make it about honesty and communication and honest to goodness chemistry and the like. And if you’re keeping anything from her, remember that every secret you keep from her is a reason for her not to fully trust you. And if you have any superpowers, either good or bad, never use them on her if you don’t absolutely have to, like if it would mean something like saving her life or if you have, stop and be honest and upfront about <em> all of it </em>, the good, the bad and the ugly and even all the parts that make you wonder if she would even look or speak to you if she knew about. She’s a Super who’s used to spy work, her life’s work is about secrets. She won’t want any in her real relationships. I knew one Super, he was a Villain, and he was known as the Love Machine. He had the power to seduce anyone he wanted within a radius of like, half a mile, it was ridiculous. Then he met a Super who was immune to him. And the more he tried to use them on her, the more repellent to him she felt and when he was finally genuine with her, she never believed him because of his powers and believed that any feeling she had towards him, were because of his powers, when in fact, the feelings were genuine, but she still refused to believe it and when she left him- he ended up drinking himself to death. And I was stupid enough to not learn that with Tali until it was too late.” Buddy admonished as Phillip simply stood there and considered him thoughtfully.</p>
<p>"Come with me," Phillip invited as he turned and escorted Buddy two floors up to where he had the doctors working on Violet's condition.</p>
<p>Buddy looked over the schematics and her last MRI scans and fought not to cry or gasp. "Oh no. She's way worse that Mirage ever got, is she dying?" Buddy asked Phillip.</p>
<p>Phillip took a deep breath and nodded yes.</p>
<p>"Does <em> she </em>know she's dying?"</p>
<p>"No, because we are on the verge of curing her, no use in upsetting her now," Phillip answered.</p>
<p>"Well what are you using to cure her?" Buddy pressed before Phillip wearily showed him what they were currently using and what else they had already tried and what they were about to try as Buddy's spark was like a bolt of lightning in his brain as it kicked into gear. </p>
<p>"I can fix this, I can fix her," Buddy claimed. "Give me a few weeks working with these guys and maybe a few months of trials but give me access to my old data banks that The Agency took and I can have a cure," Buddy promised.</p>
<p>Phillip paused to look Buddy over before nodding again. "Ok, but you better deliver Pine." Phillip went over to a control panel and gave Buddy access to the databases containing all the research that had been confiscated from Buddy's Island the decade prior along with all the research that had been done since then, along with access to the Medical Lab he was currently in and a security tag so he could go from his own lab to the medical lab on his own. "By the way, Violet is now on medical leave, Mrs. Tyner will be your liaison for everything until she gets back. But anything you need for this project you will tell Tyner and you will keep Ms. Parr out of it. Understood?" Phillip posed. </p>
<p>"Understood," Buddy agreed before turning and bringing up all his old data and instinctively taking control of the medical lab.</p>
<p>Phillip left work and went to a florist and got some nice flowers before he went over to Violet’s apartment to check in on her. </p>
<p>“Hey, what are you doing here?” Violet asked as she came to the door. </p>
<p>“I came to check on you. Are you feeling better?” He asked hopefully. </p>
<p>“I am, come on in. I take it these are for me.” Violet smiled at her flowers before he gladly handed them over to her as she took them and got a vase from the top of her fridge to put them in. </p>
<p>“I got a spa day planned for tomorrow.” She informed him happily. </p>
<p>“Good, I hope you enjoy it. You’ve earned it.” Phillip grinned. </p>
<p>“Aww, thank you.” She cooed. </p>
<p>“So, can I talk to you as Phil instead of Mr. Sebastian?” Phillip carefully asked. </p>
<p>“Of course, Phil is always allowed to talk about whatever he wants to.” Violet grinned happily as she got a bottle of wine out. </p>
<p>About four months into this assignment, “Phil” and “Vi” were code for when they just wanted to be themselves and friends and not as employer and employee or Super and Protectee and asset. </p>
<p>“So I talked to Mr. Pine about the incident this morning.” Phillip began. </p>
<p>“That’s a Mr. Sebastian tone though.” Violet noted with a frown as she went ahead and opened the bottle of wine because “Phil” and “Vi” often Netflix, Pinot Noir and Chill kind of “friends”. </p>
<p>“Ok so I asked Buddy about it and he confessed that how he knew about it, <em> was Mirage </em> , or as he referred to her- Natalia or <em> Tali </em> for short.” He furthered as he gratefully took the glass of wine as he took the seat at her breakfast bar and took off his suit jacket and tie as she hopped up in the other and turned to face him.</p>
<p>“Oh, so they were very intimate. I’m her protégé and I don’t even get to call her by her real name.” Violet professed as she made a face before she took a big sip of her wine.</p>
<p>“Yeah, so turns out that’s how he knows about the enlarged central cortex because she suffered headaches <em>just like you</em> and in between his own supervillain agenda, he was working on a cure for her. He knows that all Supers who use invisibility have that. So, it wasn’t nearly as awful as I thought it was going to be. And he reassured me that he harbors you no ill will and has no designs on you.” Phill assured her. </p>
<p>“Do you believe him?” Violet raised a curious brow at that. </p>
<p>“I’m not sure.” Phillip answered. </p>
<p>“Good because I don’t.” Violet insisted. </p>
<p>“What would it take for you to believe him?” Phil asked. </p>
<p>“His dead body.” Violet answered honestly which got Phil to crack a crooked grin.</p>
<p>“Ok. Well maybe one of these days you’ll get that and I hope it brings you closure and peace.” Phillip offered. </p>
<p>“Thank you Phil. That’s very sweet.” Violet grinned. “So can I jump your bones while you’re here?” Violet asked with a waggle of her eyebrows. </p>
<p>“Hell yeah.” He adamantly as they came together quickly and kissed passionately as they moved each other to the bedroom where they spent the remainder of the afternoon in each other’s embrace as Phillip was proud of himself for not using his powers to get her in the mood. While he knew that Buddy had spoken the truth, he would be taking Buddy’s advice, but he still had his own ideas about how and when he was going to implement them and once they were both sated they laid in bed and looked up at the painting that Violet had installed on her ceiling in the apartment as Phillip sweetly combed her soft hair with his fingertips as Violet simply basked in the afterglow of a great orgasm. Orgasms with Phillip were always out of this world because of his powers and she didn’t mind one bit he used them for that purpose. </p>
<p>“Want to go out to dinner?” Phillip asked. </p>
<p>“Sure.” Violet readily agreed as she got up and went to put on her supersuit. </p>
<p>“Come on Vi, don’t put that stupid thing on! You won’t need it!” Phillip complained. </p>
<p>“Phil, we’ve been through this a thousand times. Every time I don’t wear it, I end up needing it, <b>every single time</b>, without fail. At this point I put it on to make sure that nothing happens and that I don’t need it.” Violet argued as she continued to pull it up over he naked body. </p>
<p>“Just one more time, let’s just try one more time. Please? Pretty pretty please?” Phil begged from the bed as he sat up and steepled his hands like he was praying. </p>
<p>“Where did you want to go out to dinner?” Violet asked as she paused in putting it on as the top half simply hung around her waist. </p>
<p>“Wherever you want to go that you’ll feel you won’t need to wear that.” Phil answered as he gestured to the suit. </p>
<p>“Fine, Sumo’s.” Violet answered as she pushed the suit off her legs. </p>
<p>“Yes!” Phil cheered happily.</p>
<p>“Thank you thank you thank you.” He thanked her as he came over and kissed her soundly before he got redressed in his suit as she slipped into a sexy little dress to go out with him to dinner and once they got to Sumo’s, they happily got all kinds of Sushi and Ramen and other Dim Sum dishes. </p>
<p>And while they were eating Violet noticed she felt especially warm and fuzzy and frankly almost love drunk towards Phillip but knew he was using his powers to make her feel that way as she mentally fought those feelings because she knew they weren’t real, and not genuinely hers. Mirage had always warned her that mixing business with pleasure had it’s perks but also it’s dangers and warned her to never, ever go to bed with someone she wouldn’t feel absolutely free walking away from in the morning, let alone free to put a bullet in their head if she needed to. And that if at any moment she felt that she was in too deep and too attached that that’s when the highest danger would inevitably come and always remind herself that it was still, just a job, just a mission, just an asset and that if at any moment, he could turn from asset- to target. And she needed to be removed enough emotionally to pull the trigger herself if need be. </p>
<p>But one look at the way Phillip was looking at her told her that he was already too attached to her. But she needed him to be for this mission to be a success. He had asked her to be his girlfriend several times over by now and she had always turned him down and instead told him to ask her once her contract was up. And that seemed to satisfy him. And they agreed that their relationship would remain ‘friends with benefits’ until then and that they were open and free to pursue other romantic relationships until then. Thus- why Phillip used the ballerina/model types like tissues. But Violet felt that if he honestly, truly loved her- he would wait for her, wait however long it would take. And every time he used a girl, it was another layer added between her heart and his and honestly helped her keep her heart and her emotions to herself.</p>
<p>She still spent the night at his place though and Phillip gladly sent her in his Rolls-Royce to the spa and even ordered extra treatments for her and paid for her visit and Violet left that spa looking and feeling like a goddess before she insisted that she could come in on Monday which Phillip caved and agreed to.</p>
<p>On Sunday though, she was sent new medication which Phillip himself dropped off and once he left she was sent a video by Leslie of the conversation that Phillip had had with Buddy and Violet just watched it over and over again. She was blown away by Buddy's observations and his insights had been spot on and completely accurate and most importantly, completely honest and genuine and for the first time, she believed him. She knew that Phillip used his powers on Buddy to get that confession and thus why Phillip left it at that. And it was because of that video that she began to let go of her own grudge against him and slowly, but surely, she started to look at him and not see Syndrome anymore. Just...Buddy Pine, a colleague. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ok, from here on out, the story is completely different and reimagined, obviously. Enjoy the new version.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Gilded Cages</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Buddy learns that he isn't the only one in a gilded cage.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chapter 4</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sunday night Violet took the new medication according to the new prescriptions on the bottles and noticed if she took it as directed, it would last her about two months. Which she sadly figured she would be using up in half that time. But at least at first, she was going to follow the prescription. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Monday morning came and Violet came into work with a cheerful smile and more pep in her step than ever and looking particularly breathtaking. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't you look stunning this morning." Phillip praised when he saw her come into his office that morning, her hair was down and in curls and her makeup was done exceptionally beautifully and her attire was more colorful and vibrant and flattering too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well thanks to you, I had a great weekend and the new sleep aids and painkillers are working really well, like </span>
  <em>
    <span>exquisitely well</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I got a whole, glorious </span>
  <em>
    <span>twelve hours</span>
  </em>
  <span> of sleep last night, I felt like I was ancient for going to bed at seven pm but I needed it and woke up refreshed and invigorated and I feel great so bravo to the medical team, they are onto some winners as far as meds, this is my favorite batch yet." She appraised happily which got Phillip to smile gratefully and appreciatively and filled him with relief and happiness that she responded so well to the change. Maybe once she was on these meds for a little while and saw the marked improvement, she wouldn't kill him for going behind her back and using Mr. Pine to achieve the breakthrough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So what do we have for Mr. Pine this morning?" She asked as she got a new tablet and got it ready to receive new data since the last one was broken beyond repair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh nothing new. He is working on a new project though that he got over the weekend that he's coincidentally needing to use the medical lab for. So he's actually in the medical lab right now." Phillip carefully and vaguely informed her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, ok." Violet shrugged, not thinking anything of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well it's almost nine, I better check in with him, see if he needs anything. I'll see you later." She offered before she uncharastically kissed his cheek sweetly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"See you later Handsome." She offered before she left as Phillip practically lit up with excitement. Oh whatever she was on, she needed to keep on it because that felt incredibly genuinely affectionate to him and he was over the moon. Operation Wife was on!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet felt so amazing, she felt invigorated, refreshed and not a hint of pain in anything. She could even wear these heels and not feel uncomfortable in the least. She didn't feel like her senses were dulled at all, if anything they were sharper than they were before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good morning Dr. Gjersoe, Mr. Pine." She greeted cheerfully as she came in as Dr. Gjersoe immediately buried her schematics so she wouldn't see them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good morning." They mirrored as Buddy was impressed she still didn't want to kill him this morning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I came to check in this morning Mr. Pine, do you have a moment?" She asked thoughtfully, wanting him to have some privacy from everyone else in the medical lab.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh, yeah, sure." He confirmed as he gave Dr. Gjersoe a meaningful glance before followed her out of the lab and into a private office nearby.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So...do you still want to kill me this morning?" Buddy blurted out which made Violet look at him like he was crazy before she laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What? Oh, oh because of Friday, no, no, don't worry about it. I actually need to apologize to you because you were just...being a decent human being by showing some sympathy and I was the one who was out of line and I'm sorry." She genuinely offered and it was his turn to look at her like she was crazy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh...what?" Buddy asked, completely dumbfounded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ok, let's clear the air." She suggested before she did something with the tablet that shut off the cameras and listening devices in the office so they could truly talk privately.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ok, so Leslie sent me the audio and video of the conversation you had with Mr. Sebastian after I left on Friday and I watched and listened to it several times. You're incredibly perceptive and I believe that you were being genuine with Mr. Sebastian when you were talking to him and I believe you. If you say that you harbor no ill will towards myself and my family and by the sounds of it, you've been to therapy yourself to come to the realization that you by all accounts were unbalanced and super obsessed with my father which in turn led to some really bad decisions on your part and you regret it and obviously I see some guilt and shame in your eyes even now. And the fact that you put up no argument making me your heir apparent. Tells me that you must have changed in the decade or so since we were last in each other's presence. And a decade can be a long time and </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot</span>
  </em>
  <span> has changed since then for both of us and our circumstances are different. And when you told me that Syndrome died that day in the jet turbine, I didn't want to believe you but after that conversation you had with Mr. Sebastian, and if you will swear </span>
  <em>
    <span>on Tali</span>
  </em>
  <span>- that Syndrome will </span>
  <em>
    <span>never, </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>ever</em>
  </b>
  <span> get resurrected and the only person I will or anyone else ever interact with from now on is just...Buddy Pine. Then that's all I need. We're both adults and professionals. I believe in giving people enough rope to hang themselves on. So what do you say? Will you just be Buddy Pine, a colleague?" She offered her hand to him to shake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I will, And I swear on Natalia Octavia that Syndrome or any other Super persona I could ever invent will never see the light of day." Buddy swore before he shook her hand which got Violet to smile fondly at him which he soon mirrored.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good, also word of advice, never, ever imply that Mr. Sebastian has super powers again. The last few who have- are now six feet under. Also don't ever make any comments about my relationship with Mr. Sebastian either, don't hint or poke or question or anything to either him or myself or anyone else, because again, he's very touchy about it. I'm surprised he didn't seriously retaliate against you for it, at least yet anyway. You got lucky, don't press your luck again. Got it?" She urged him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Understood." Buddy nodded in agreement. "So, how are the new meds working out?" Buddy asked hopefully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How did you know I was given new meds?" Violet frowned as she folded her arms in front of herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh...you...you said you saw the conversation, you didn't see Mr. Sebastian escorted me to the medical lab?" Buddy questioned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I...I did not. Are you telling me that you're working on my own medical issues? That my new medication...came from you?" Violet asked as she tried to resist the panic starting to whirl in her chest but despite the initial spike in anxiousness, it never grew from there. If anything- she was able to keep it stable instead of being overpowered by it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"He didn't tell you?" Buddy asked with a wince and a grimace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, not yet." Violet took a deep breath and with a calming breath and refocus, she was able to fully regain her composure and push down her anxiety which soon dissipated as she was once again, able to look at the bigger picture.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ok, so this is your new medical project and why you needed to be in the medical lab over the weekend and from now on, of course, </span>
  <em>
    <span>of course</span>
  </em>
  <span>, why didn't I put it together." She muttered as she took a step back and took a moment to come to terms with it before she took another step forward and faced him and fixed him with a questioning look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Can you cure me?" Violet asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"In theory, yes. But curing you while keeping all of your powers intact yet freeing you of the crippling pain is the biggest challenge. However it's a challenge I'm very familiar with. Thankfully progress has been made since I last tried to tackle it and there are new compounds being found and tested all the time. All I need is time." Buddy professed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How much time?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Could be weeks, could be months, maybe a year or two at the latest. But in order for it to be effective I and the other doctors need you to be completely honest with us about what's happening and what's hurting and what side effects you're feeling and experiencing and what's been working and what hasn't. We all want to help. And in order for us to help best, we have to know more than what you've given us previously." Buddy pleaded because Dr. Gjersoe had told him that Violet was a difficult patient because she was so dodgy and mistrusting and super vague in her answers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Look I completely understand your need for secrecy, I built an empire on it ok? And I realize that as a Super, secrecy keeps you alive and keeps you safe right?" Buddy questioned and Violet had to nod in agreement with that reasoning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But like you've said, if you can just trust us enough to help, give us just enough rope to hang ourselves on so we can help, that's all we want. We don't need to know your life story or anything. We just need to know things like side effects and effectiveness. And we both know you're closest to Mr. Sebastian and he's been our go between but he doesn't always know what and how to ask to get the answers we need." Buddy added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"OK, ok, fine. I give. Just enough to hang you all on." Violet caved before she re-swipped the tablet to reverse the 'lockdown' mode before they left the room and went back to the medical suite as Violet let them question and poke and prod her all they needed to and answered their questions to the degree she felt comfortable with and what they needed and when they were done she left and returned to Phillip's office.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, you were gone a while, everything ok?" Phillip noted and the smile that Violet gave him told him that she was far from pleased. It was her 'I'm going to kick your ass' smile and it gave him dread.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, I was in the medical wing letting Dr. Gjersoe and his team know how the new meds were working out." She answered as she came and handed him her tablet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"By the way, I had a very </span>
  <em>
    <span>enlightening</span>
  </em>
  <span> discussion with Mr. Pine about what happened over the weekend and why exactly he's in the medical wing." Violet leveled as she folded her arms under her chest and popped her hip and fixed him with a look that made him feel two inches tall as Phillip pursed his lips and had a guilty expression.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So, what you're going to do- is give me the same clearance you have, so that I can keep an eye on this situation myself because you should have asked me about bringing Mr. Pine into this and the only reason I'm not handing you your ass over this is because I know that you're just as desperate for a solution as I am. And then you are </span>
  <b>
    <em>never</em>
  </b>
  <span> going to circumvent me again. Because if you do- contracts be damned, I will be gone faster than you can blink and I will disappear and you will have to spend every penny you have ten times over in an effort to find me again and you still won't be able to. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This situation</span>
  </em>
  <span>- will never repeat or so help me God, I will go full supervillain on your ass and there will be nowhere- where you can hide from me. I hunt and kill for a living remember? And I'm the best there is. You're lucky that I am able to see the bigger picture this time and see your intentions, although good- the way you handled this was wrong, otherwise, I would already be gone. Also, you will not be retaliating against anyone for this because this was all on you and you can't hold this against Mr. Pine because I didn't give him a choice other than to tell me the truth. Third. I have decided to give Mr. Pine just enough rope to hang himself on along with everyone in the medical wing but I need you to know and understand, that I am holding you personally responsible for what happens next with my healthcare. Are we clear?" She proposed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes." Phillip confirmed as he went ahead and did as she demanded of him with her tablet, grateful this wasn't nearly as bad as he figured it would be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good, now, let's move forward. There's the expo in Vegas in a few weeks, I think we should go and bring Mr. Pine with us- I can get him a good handler and we can announce to the world that IRize and SEB Industries are collaborating, get some good press for both of you. And if in the next few weeks, Mr. Pine proves himself trustworthy. We put a deterrent bracelet and a pin on him to keep him from running and we'll get him a handler. And if he does well there, then we can take him to Hong Kong and Tokyo for those expos in a few months. It would keep him from getting too stir crazy." She suggested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I think that might work." Phillip agreed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good." Violet smiled victoriously before she took her tablet back and went to the tech department to figure out what could be used for her ventures and made a few orders before she went back to her office to find an appropriate handler. They had to be trustworthy, competent, intelligent, strong and versatile as she narrowed down her search to a few options.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good evening Mr. Pine." Violet greeted when she came into his lab for her evening check in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good evening Ms. Parr." Buddy mirrored as he came over and put the cookies he had made for them on the island she liked to do their check ins at. He noticed she tended to stay longer and actually chit chat when he had snacks for her. Today was a cookie day he felt as she happily took a cookie as a peace offering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So, do you have anything outstanding that you wish to report?" Violet began before she bit into the cookie and practically melted in her spot. She secretly thought it was awesome that Buddy not only could cook decently well, but could also bake and was surprisingly very self sufficient. He did all his own laundry and dishes and cooking and kept his space pretty clean which always impressed her because Phillip was a master in the boardroom- but completely useless in a domestic setting and she doubted he even knew where his dry-cleaners was on a map, let alone what clothes needed to be washed vs. dry cleaned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Other than the medical lab is making you a three to six month supply of your current medication that should be ready in a few days, no." He answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Awesome." Violet smiled happily as she notated that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So, I have a proposition for you." She began as she got a stool and sat down on it as Buddy took her cue and got on his own stool on the other side of the island facing her as he got a cookie himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ms. Parr, I'm flattered but what would Mr. Sebastian think if he knew a young pretty thing like you was propositioning an old man like me?" Buddy teased as he pressed a hand to his chest as he pretended to be scandalized which got Violet to laugh which in turn got him to chuckle. Pleased he could make her laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I walked right into that." Violet realized as she just shook her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Anyway- so, on account that you appear to be very settled in, to the point you are already completely unpacked and you've sorted your tools and rearranged your living space- twice. I suspect that you are already showing signs of becoming a little stir crazy." Violet ventured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Dang it, I was hoping it wasn't that noticeable." Buddy murmured as he snapped his fingers sarcastically. God she was especially gorgeous today, he was practically swooning. He could smell the products she used in her hair and perfume she sprayed that morning as it lingered on her person. It was like someone brought a bouquet of flowers into an operating room because the lab he liked to keep clean, sanitized and sterilized. And while she was a Super, she brought a human element to this environment that he appreciated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, I may have a solution for you. So as you know, there is a tech expo in Vegas in a few weeks that IRize was supposed to have been invited to go to. I suggested to Mr. Sebastian for you to come with us and we can make an announcement of the collaboration." She began.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What's the catch? Cause there's always a catch with something like this." Buddy asked with a puzzled frown.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The catch is you will be wearing something like this the whole time." She said as she pulled the watch out of her pocket and put it on the counter and slid it to him before he picked it up and looked it over and resisted the urge to take it apart. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Think of it like a shock collar for a dog to stay in an invisible fence. You will technologically tethered to your handler. But it would let you out of here and give you a tiny bit more freedom and hopefully you won't feel too stir crazy. And if that goes well and you don't hang yourself on that length of rope, then you can get another length of rope when could go to Hong Kong in a few months." She revealed to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Would you be my handler?" Buddy asked hopefully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, I'm already Mr. Sebastian's handler, I don't pull double duty, neither you or him could ever pay me enough." Violet smiled smugly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh come on, I would behave, I promise." Buddy vowed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah I'm sure you would. But I can't say the same for Mr. Sebastian. My hands are already full if not threatening to overflow with just him. So I will be getting a handler for you." Violet maintained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So, all I need from you- is your word not to run or try to escape or make any S.O.S signals or anything like that, also a script will be provided to you for all press you would have and if you would need any new attire for this trip, that can also be arranged." She offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And a haircut please." Buddy proposed as he ran his fingers through is hair, noting how it could use a trim.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That can be arranged as well." Violet nodded as she made notes about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The suit shop and tailor I like to use the best is Black Orchid and they will need at least two weeks to create your suits, would you like your haircut then or would you prefer to have it right before you leave?" Violet inquired.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It can get cut then, might as well do it all at once while we're out." Buddy decided.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ok. Now for this particular outing, when we get your suits measured and ordered, I will be your handler and you will have your own security detail who will be armed with live rounds and you will be wearing a deterrent as well that will be tethered to me. Meaning you leave my side any other reason other than to relieve yourself, by a distance of more than fifty feet and at the least- you'll lose a limb, at the most- it will kill you. Do you understand?" Violet warned him evenly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes Ma'am." Buddy nodded in agreement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Great, now, what day this week would you prefer to go?" Violet asked between bites of her cookie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Any day that works for you." Buddy answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Let's go Wednesday, give those tailors an extra few days on those suits." Violet proposed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sounds great." Buddy grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buddy was absolutely giddy for the opportunity to go on an outing, let alone with Violet, he didn't care if a hundred henchmen joined them. He had to stay within fifty feet of her. Hell he would happily stay within five. The closer the better.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wednesday morning Violet along with only two henchmen arrived at 9:15 a.m. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good morning Mr. Pine, are you ready to go?" She asked as she came in with two henchmen trailing her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes." Buddy answered as he came out of the 'apartment' section of his lab. Dressed and ready to go.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Awesome. Before we go, there are a few things we need to go over. First- this is Mr. Leland and Mr. Nelson they will be our security detail, they will protect us while we're out but they will not hesitate to </span>
  <em>
    <span>rock your shit</span>
  </em>
  <span> if you step out of line." Violet informed him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ok." Buddy nodded, amused at her choice of words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Also this is one of the tethers." She said as she presented him with the watch before Buddy took the one he was already wearing off and presented his wrist to her so she could put it on before she did, locking it with her thumb print on the face of the watch as it sized itself to his wrist and locked itself into his biometrics.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And this is the other." Violet said as she took a pin from the same box in as the watch since it was with the watch and matched it style and fastened it to his shirt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The pin is your own passkey in the building." Violet informed him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Snazzy." Buddy appraised as he looked at it appreciatively which got Violet to snort a laugh and him to grin a little wider.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"OK, the next order of business is the safety protocol. If at any point our safety is compromised or something is going down or sideways, we're being ambushed or there's an assassination attempt or anything like that or even in the occurrence of someone imposter-ing myself or you or anyone else- there's a safety word I will use to positively identify you and everyone else. So I need you to think of a word that you can say quickly and easily to make sure that you're you." Violet urged him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ok, what's the safe word?" Buddy asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Twatwaffle." Violet informed him which got Buddy to bust out laughing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What? Of all the words in all the languages, our lives could be in danger and you're going to yell '<em>twatwaffle</em>'?" Buddy asked incredulously. "You're serious? You're being serious right now?" Buddy prodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, it has saved our collective asses repeatedly because everyone tries to think of really "cool" names to use that no one remembers in the heat of the moment. But in a life or death situation, you need the ludicrous and the unexpected but memorable to save your bacon. So when and if I ever have to use the "Twatwaffle" protocol. What will be your response? Because again, Mr. Nelson and Mr. Leland will also need to know it to make sure you are you and not an imposter or that I'm not an imposter." Violet maintained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Jesus, ok. Uh, if you're going to yell 'twatwaffle' I guess I could reply with Shmoke, like 'would you like a shmoke and a pancake?." Buddy replied because his brain couldn't think of anything else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Shmoke it is." Violet nodded as she put that in with a grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"OK, now we can go." Violet said as she then put the tablet into her bag and turned and left and walked out of there with Buddy walking only a step behind her with Mr. Nelson and Mr. Leland a step behind him before they went down the elevator to the SUV where Mr. Leland and Mr. Nelson opened the car doors for Violet and Buddy to get into the backseat before Mr. Leland got in the drivers side and Mr. Nelson got in the passenger side and they went to Black Orchid which was the best suit shop and tailor's in the city while Violet had an extra specialist to come in for the suit fittings.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Miss Parr, always a pleasure to have you here." The shop owner Mr. Sudwar greeted as he came and shook her hand and kissed her cheeks as she did the same with a sweet adoring smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mr. Sudwar, it's always a pleasure to be here, especially when it's with you." Violet replied charmingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Is Mr. Sebastian needing anything?" He asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Not today, this is his new dear friend and close colleague though, Mr. Pine, and it is him that we are fitting out today under Mr. Sebastian's suggestion and highest recommendation." Violet introduced.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Any friend and colleague of Mr. Sebastian's is one of mine. What can I do for you Mr. Pine?" He asked hopefully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The works." Violet answered for Buddy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, well then right this way." Mr. Sudwar ushered Buddy before another man came to stand next to Violet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mademoiselle." He greeted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Benny, thank you so much for coming on such short notice. How are you?" Violet greeted as she gave him a hug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm doing well. Always a pleasure to hear from you." He answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh good, so I have a favor to ask- in three and a half weeks, Mr. Pine will be accompanying Mr. Sebastian and myself to an expo in Vegas and possibly Tokyo and Hong Kong a few months after that. So I need to have the same precautions and safety features on Mr. Pine's suits that Mr. Sebastian does. Because while Mr. Sebastian is my asset, Mr. Pine is Mr. Sebastian's so therefore he is mine as well. And I need to make sure that while we're vulnerable in the public, Mr. Pine won't be that exposed." Violet specified with a meaningful look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I can make that happen, but for the time frame, I'll need a 15% increase in my usual fee." Benny proposed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Make it twenty. It's all on Mr. Sebastian's dime anyway." Violet insisted with a flip of her hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You got it." Benny nodded as he brought up a card reader and Violet got Phillip's business credit card out and swiped it before he got her a receipt and handed it to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you Benny, we should get lunch soon, bring the family, I haven't seen Annie and Maddox in forever." She suggested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Name the time and place." Benny urged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Anabel's', say noon tomorrow?" Violet suggested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's a date, we'll be there." Benny grinned before he left and got his own materials and went back into the work shop part of the shop to work with the tailors just as Buddy was put into his first suit as Mr. Sudwar made his measurements and suggestions for the look of suit that would look best on Buddy, make him appear taller than he was because Buddy was on the shorter, stockier side as Violet came into the room where Buddy was up on the podium to appraise him herself, tilting her head to the side and noting how fair he was along with the shade of orangish red his hair was and made the mental notes of what suit colors would compliment him best.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Miss Parr? What are your thoughts?" Mr. Sudwar asked as he also took notes of what she seemed to be drawn to on the fabric swatches before she brought them over to them and held them up to Buddy and Buddy was struck by how thoughtful Violet was being as she picked the perfect colors to compliment him and how she was already up to date with all the trends as she then made sure he would have all the shirts and ties he would ever need in a lifetime as she went through the place with a fine toothed comb and found all kinds of little gems to make Buddy shine like a star and Buddy was supremely flattered as he simply let her do as she pleased and always agreed with her suggestions. Because her taste was exquisite and flawless and he found it was sentimental that she went through so much trouble to make sure he looked good. If he had the opportunity, he would have reached out to Edna to create Violet a wardrobe of gowns and whatever else she wanted, if only it would match all of this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And by the time they were done, they went out to lunch, Buddy eternally grateful it was actual fine dining and not take out. After lunch, she took him to Vers, a male spa that Mr. Sebastian and his staff and most of the male members of his company also frequented. Where Buddy also got not just a haircut but manicure and pedicure and even a massage and a facial which he hadn't gotten in what felt like forever and when they were done with that, they all went out to dinner. At a proper high end steak house and Buddy happily gorged himself on wagyu beef and when he was good and satisfied did they return to SEB industries as Mr. Nelson and Mr. Leland helped take Buddy's new things to his floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I got it from here guys, thank you so much for your services today." Violet dismissed them as they nodded and left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You did good today Mr. Pine," Violet praised as she took the pin off his jacket and put it away before she took the watch off and put that into its case as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I never realized you had such exquisite taste." Buddy praised as Violet helped bring his things into the apartment side of the floor which was in all reality like a high rise apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I've learned from the best. And having Mr. Sebastian as an asset, I've learned a thing or two about the way high society people look, act, dress and behave. I'd be a fool not to pick up on at least some of it." Violet professed as she put his clothing bags on his perfectly made bed for him to put away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why are you being so nice to me?" Buddy felt compelled to ask as he put his other things next to it on the bed as well, appreciating the intimate setting. And if circumstances were different, he wished there wasn't at least six cameras on them and they could really be alone. But the way Violet paused and looked away and bit and chewed her bottom lip and fidgeted with her perfectly manicured nails, was adorable, if not incredibly endearing and Buddy just got a sense that he was finally seeing just a little glimpse of the real her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Because a cage is a cage- no matter how gilded. If you can find contentment and a measure of happiness in it, the less likely you'll be to try to break out of it." Violet said simply with a sad smile as Buddy suddenly was struck by the truth of the situation. Violet was obviously just as much of a prisoner that he was. That's why she was being nice. She had been living like this for a year. He was barely in a month. She was coming from experience. This is how she was surviving it as he also wondered if that's what Tali had been feeling. And why she was always keen on missions. She wanted to break free just as much Violet did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How gilded is your cage?" Buddy asked as he shoved his hands in his pockets to keep himself from reaching out to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"A bit more so than yours, and a little bigger. But a cage nonetheless. I don't know how the next handler to Mr. Sebastian will treat you. This is my last assignment before permanent retirement. And I want it to be my best work. And I want it done right. And being kind, and showing sympathy and empathy are the best ways I've found to do it. I know three years seems like a long time. And I'll only be here for two of those three. And I have a feeling that last one will be the hardest. I can only hope my replacement will treat you with respect and dignity. You deserve it. Goodnight Mr. Pine." She bid him before she stepped around him, simply reaching out her hand to gently move him out of her way so she could get out of there because if she stayed any longer and talked any more about this, she would get in trouble in more ways than one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Violet?" Buddy called after her as she turned to look at him questioningly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You deserve better too. A gilded cage is no place for you either." Buddy professed as he had turned with her and was facing her once again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know, we will just have to make the most of it won't we Mr. Pine? In our side by side cages." Violet urged as she picked her head up high with a fond and understanding smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We will." Buddy nodded in agreement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good night Ms. Parr, thank you, for everything today." Buddy graciously thanked her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're welcome." Violet nodded before she saw herself out and dropped off what she needed off at the tech department and used the long walks from Buddy's apartment to the tech department to rein in her own emotions and reinforce her composure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So how was today?" Phillip asked as he came by her office to see her off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It was really good, it worked beautifully. He won't want to break free any time soon. He'll be happy and content for a while. Although I think if we make outings a regular thing for him, that'll be the best thing for the situation." Violet mused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I noticed your sympathetic "gilded cage" worked like a charm. He was practically eating out your hand." Phillip noted proudly and Violet could only huff a laugh. Of course he would think that was a manipulation. Everything was a manipulation to him. Even though Violet had been genuine in that sentiment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It did." Violet had to admit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you think there's a danger of you two getting too close?" Phillip questioned as he began to second guess his decision to have his 'pet' be their liaison.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No. All Mr. Pine sees when he looks at me is Mirage 2.0. Mirage took care of everything for him, from picking out his attire, to managing his life practically, I saw it when I was suit shopping with him and picking shirts and ties out for him. He agreed with every decision I made and never argued or had a difference once, I'm surprised he didn't slip and call me by her name. And how he is with me is how he was with her </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> she betrayed him. Which is good, it's right where you and I want and need him to be." Violet assured Phillip. Because if she could make him believe that. The more freedoms he would perhaps grant Buddy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're amazing, you know that?" Phillip praised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you, see you tomorrow Phillip. Good night." She cooed with a sweet kiss before she left her office and went to her apartment. She got ready for bed and she thought of all the ways she could help Buddy stand his confinement better because as strange as it was. She had so much in common with him. They were practically in side by side cages at this point. She hated all the 31 cameras and listening devices in her apartment that she knew Phillip put there to keep an eye on her behind her back and she had simply learned to never let the 'act' down. She hated all the bugs and chips in all of her electronics and her vehicles. She hated how even when she went on missions. There was always SEB tech with her and even then it was like Phillip was always there and she couldn't escape him. It was why every other Super before her had quit. It was why finding a replacement anytime soon was nigh impossible. It made hiding her escape routes and hiding her back up plans from him as hard as it was but thankfully, not impossible. And while charming Phillip had brought her some freedoms and trust. It wasn't complete. And until Phillip eased up and stopped all of this surveillance on her, that she could never, ever give herself to him. And why she could never love him. Love without trust wasn't love. Love without faith, fidelity or commitment or compromise wasn't love either and while she had some power in the relationship, Phillip had the bigger share and the final word. But this was the only way she had found she could survive. And part of her reached out to Buddy. Because if she could make sure he would make it and survive this, then she could too. She wasn't alone, and that gave her hope.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Buddy was laying in bed and staring up at his ceiling, ignoring the tears streaking the sides of his head. How did he not see that Violet was just as much of a prisoner that he was? He remembered the lengths he kept his own employees under surveillance and his gut was screaming at him that that was nothing compared to the lengths Phillip probably went to. If he had to bet- he would bet her place was at least bugged. Phillip probably kept her watched </span>
  <em>
    <span>so closely</span>
  </em>
  <span>. To the point she probably felt like she couldn't breathe without Phillip knowing about it. The poor thing was just used to it by now. What could he do to help her though? This was the true challenge. How to get them both out of this alive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even if after her time here was up, if  she was able to disappear and he never saw her again- but she could have a life of freedom and never be watched ever again. That would be enough for him. He just needed to think outside the box. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>God do I love good foundations. I'm so happy I was able to give this story a decent one now.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Macarons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>One step closer.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chapter 5</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next week, on Thursday, Buddy noticed there was a new delivery man that dropped off his various shipments and Buddy nearly cried tears of relief when he recognized him but Buddy did his best to act nonchalant and unaffected because the delivery guy was in fact, one of his oldest and most trusted friends, partners and colleagues- John Clairborne. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mr. Pine?" The new delivery guy greeted, acting like he didn't know him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, that's me. And you are?" Buddy felt the need to ask.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Jack Reacher. Sign here please sir." He offered and Buddy barely contained his amused reaction to that name.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah I know, you have no idea how many jabs I get." Jack offered good naturedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then I won't make any." Buddy insisted as he took the device to sign that had a special screen on it so that only when you were looking directly at it, would you be able to read what was on it as Buddy took it and then there was an infrared flash that was naked to the human eye but it was for a secret camera on the device that positively ID'd Buddy before it flashed him a special screen that had super quick message for just a moment but Buddy had caught it before vanished and returned to the signature screen before he signed his name on the signature screen to receive the packages as usual, using Jack's pen that doubled as a stylus to do so.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I really like your pen." Buddy praised as he recognized his own work, this had been one of those super secret spy pens that had all kinds of extra features and hidden devices. Buddy was impressed it had made it through security.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Keep it sir, I have plenty." Jack grinned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thanks." Buddy thanked him as he took the pen and simply placed it behind his ear like he usually did with his pencils.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're welcome. Have a good day sir." He wished him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You too Mr. Reacher." Buddy thanked him before Mr. Reacher left before he went about unpacking the boxes, careful not to cut the packing slips and collected all the slips and put them aside as he double checked what he got, doing everything he could to act as normal as possible and when he was done, he took the packing slips and put them in the folder he kept, just in case he needed to return anything and when he looked at these packing slips and the others, </span>
  <em>
    <span>he saw it</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Coded messages in the barcodes. How had he not seen those before and went through his owner's manual for one of the first pieces of equipment he had ordered and found the cipher because the message that flashed on the reader told him to. How had he not put it together before?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>According to the hidden messages. There had already been three new "employees" at SEB Industries along with new "agents" that were infiltrating all these other companies. They were gathering what they could to make a counter case against SEB and were working on getting him out. The new employees with SEB were infiltrating the tech department and one had been sent as a new security guard and the other was simply working his way through the corporate side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good evening Mr. Pine." Violet greeted as she came into the lab which nearly made Buddy jump in his skin as he realized what time it was, he had lost track of time deciphering the messages and hoped and prayed he wouldn't get caught.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good evening Ms. Parr." Buddy greeted back as he quickly got up and came over to her, the new pen tightly in his grasp.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So, do you have anything outstanding you would like to report?" Violet asked per usual, a little disappointed he didn't have a snack ready for her but tried to keep that disappointment to herself because his little snacks had become an extra perk to her day. They would always tide her over till she could get dinner and Buddy actually kept his snacks relatively healthy if not very delicious which she always appreciated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh, nope, all my shipments came in, so I was just squaring those away, matching the shipments to the packing slips and tickets, making sure everything is all here and accounted for and I'm not missing anything." Buddy answered because that was the closest truth he could offer because he didn't trust himself to lie to her at the moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh good. So we don't need to mail anything back?" She asked, realizing how seriously and meticulously kept things like that and he probably got caught up in that, and it was that- that was the reason he didn't have a snack ready for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nope, not this time." Buddy answered, knowing that from now on, his packing slips were going to be used as extra communication and he was going to try his hardest to make it as discreet, unassuming and secret as possible.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Awesome. I'm glad everything was correct." Violet nodded as she went through her checklist and notes before she noticed Buddy was still holding the pen before she looked at it just a moment longer and realized it was new.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"New pen?" She asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh yeah, the delivery driver had it, it writes really nice and I said something to him and he let me keep it." Buddy answered before he offered it to her and she took it and used it both as a stylus and a pen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ooh, that does write really nicely, I can see why you would want to keep it. I wonder who the company used to make it. Because this is obviously a company pen." She said as she gave the company logo a dismissive glance but appreciated the pen itself and it's aesthetically clean and sleek appearance but surprisingly stylish.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't know." Buddy shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well obviously if you're envying a delivery company's pens, your pens must be lacking then, I'll put in an order to get you decent pens." Violet noted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, don't bother Ms. Parr, it's just a pen, you're looking too far into this." Buddy tried to discourage her casually because the last thing he wanted was for anyone, especially her to be tipped off about the recent developments, but he had to play this off convincingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mr. Pine. I too would like some really nice, decent pens so this is an excuse to get myself some decent pens too and one can never have too many writing utensils, at least in my office. I've misplaced my fair share of them and all the stylus' to the point I keep several extra ones in my top drawer. I'm notorious for it in fact. The next time you get a delivery, you could ask them where they got the pens if they know. If not, it's not the end of the world. But keep this one close and don't let me or anyone else steal it from you." Violet advised with a fond smile which brought a smile to Buddy's face in turn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You might as well just keep that one if it'll make you happy." Buddy offered, he was helpless against her charms and she wasn't even trying to charm him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, this is your pen. The next time that delivery driver comes though, if you happen to get another one, I'll take that one." Violet compromised as she put it back into his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Or you can just have this one now," Buddy pointed out as he tried to offer it back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll take the next one besides I would still probably lose it between now and then- "</span>
  <em>
    <span>I have spoken</span>
  </em>
  <span>"." Violet good naturedly teased as she refused, putting her tablet down on the counter so she could use both of her hands to reach out and grab his and folded his own hand around the pen as Buddy savored the small, gentle touch. It was really nice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ok fine." Buddy put the pen behind his ear before he put his hands up in defeat because arguing with her was pointless.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"By the way, next Wednesday we should return to Black Orchid for the first preliminary suit fitting. Mr. Nelson will be joining us and we will have Mr. Soche accompany us instead of Mr. Leland because again, the more of the security detail that get to know you and how you behave normally, and your 'twatwaffle protocol' the better. The last thing I need is for us to have an incident and have to defend you when half of the security doesn't know it or you." She began.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Smart." Buddy praised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you," Violet beamed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"By the way, if someone yells twatwaffle at you, what would your answer be?" Buddy felt the need to ask.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Glitter nugget." Violet answered which got them both to laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's...that's very fitting." Buddy appraised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh that's not as bad as Phillip's." Violet murmured lowly before Buddy could help himself, he sidled up next to her as he folded his elbows and leaned on the counter next to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Tell me, tell me, tell me." Buddy begged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No, once anyone but myself and his security knows of it, it has to be changed for his security."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh come on, who would I tell? I only ever talk to you and the doctors in the medical wing. Please, I need it to live!" Buddy pleaded as he playfully grabbed her arm and shook her a little which got Violet to giggle again. Oh what a melodious and perfect sound it was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before she reached up and whispered it into his ear which Buddy again, relished in the close contact before his eyes got wide when he heard it as he gasped softly but couldn't help the giggle that escaped him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No." Buddy breathed at her before she nodded and waggled her eyebrows at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, if that will be all, have a good evening Mr. Pine." She said before she gave him a wink before she sauntered out of there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good evening Ms. Parr." Buddy beamed back. Oh she had been in a really good playful mood today. he wished he could have tempted her to stay longer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh a snack." Buddy realized after she left and rubbed his hands over his face before he realized his mistake. He didn't make her a snack, that's why she looked disappointed at first, she could have stayed longer. Tomorrow though, he was going to create an awesome one before he went to his kitchen to see what he had and could make before the thought occurred to him of what he could make before he looked up recipes and put in a grocery order and looked at his watch to make sure Leslie or Dion would get it for him tonight so it could prep overnight. And sure enough by the time he had made himself dinner, his groceries were delivered to him by Dion at the door on the apartment side of the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you Dion." Buddy thanked him as he got the groceries and went back to his kitchen to begin prepping what he needed because this particular snack would be a labor of love, but a labor he wouldn't mind making, especially if she liked it because she had told him about her preference to them before. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On Friday morning Violet walked in to the smell of the lab smelling divine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good morning Mr. Pine." Violet greeted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good morning Ms. Parr. I realize I didn't provide you with any sustenance last night. My apologies." Buddy offered as he offered her a plate of macarons.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Where did you get these?" Violet gasped in delight as she readily took one from the plate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I made them. They didn't turn out perfect but hopefully they'll taste ok." Buddy offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You made these?! Macarons are like, one of the hardest things anyone can make. They're a labor of love and test of patience. I've only tried to make them a handful of times and every time I've tried, I swore of baking for months at a time. But I'm not that great in the kitchen. Only because I'm rarely ever home long enough to cook half the time. So thank you very much. I love macarons. There's a pastry shop a few blocks over that knows me and my order by name that I get every Friday to start out my weekend with. They make this white chocolate raspberry one that is to die for. When we have our outing next week, I'll have us stop there so you can get it." Violet offered before she took one and bit into it and chewed thoughtfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ooh, strawberry vanilla, very nice." She praised as Buddy beamed happily that she could taste the flavors.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Close enough." Buddy admitted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Like how close?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Strawberry champagne." Buddy revealed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oooh, the champagne is subtle but now that you mention it, I taste it now. Very well done." Violet praised. "So how did you know how to make these?" She asked thoughtfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh, it was Mirage's favorite dessert." Buddy had to admit but there was sadness in her eyes yet a smugness to Violet's grin as she felt some vindication that her hunch was right and was hoping Phillip was watching and listening but also hurt that when Buddy was with her, he was still imagining Mirage which she knew was probably for the best because that was the only way they could keep this up without Phillip getting too suspicious or herself from getting to close either. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well I'm grateful you've kept the skills up. These are delicious." Violet praised as she took a second one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Here, I made you some more because when you make them, you make a tray at a time." Buddy offered as he left and went to the fridge where he had kept the container with the extras, the best ones and handed it to her since she had eagerly followed him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you." Violet thanked him as she readily took them before they went through their usual routine before Violet saw herself out and took her prize straight to Phillip's office. And once inside the elevator Violet let her head drop as she closed her eyes, the beginnings of tears stinging them before she pushed her hurt down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All Buddy saw was Mirage, all Phillip saw was Invisigirl. Suddenly she felt like she was 14 again with Tony, being so invisible and no one really seeing her- </span>
  <em>
    <span>for her</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But it was for the best wasn't it? It would be easier to walk away from all this and all of them knowing that what everyone thought and saw- was never even close to the truth. It was better this way. That's all she needed to remind herself of. She needed to stay focused. But right now- she needed to be smug in her validation and vindication that her hunch was right. That's what Phillip would expect as she straightened up her posture and put on the façade once again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I told you." Violet practically sang as she strutted up to him and presented the macarons as proof.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You did, you did. Bravo." Phillip congratulated her as he took a macaron and ate it, particularly proud of her for her performance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next day Mr. Reacher came back with another delivery.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, so my supervisor and liaison really liked the pen, is there anyway we can hook her up with some more or at least point her in the right direction to get more herself? Surely this place has website where she could order them off of right?" Buddy asked, hoping that wasn't too transparent for whoever was watching him but clear enough for Jack to understand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sure, keep that one for her for now." Mr. Reacher nodded in understanding.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thanks. Also I have this to send out, I printed off my own return slip for it." Buddy offered a box that had a part that needed to be replaced.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course Mr. Pine." He assured him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On Monday Violet came in just as Mr. Reacher was dropping off Buddy's latest shipment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mr. Reacher, this is my supervisor and liaison- Ms. Parr. she's the one who liked the pen." Buddy introduced.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"He said something to me on Saturday. I asked my boss about it this morning and he still had a business card for the company who makes them. He only got a few of the premium ones as part of an advertising promotion." Mr. Reacher revealed as he pulled the business card from his pocket and handed it over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh thank you so much! Yeah I really loved the way that pen wrote and the built in stylus is very convenient when you deal with electronics all day." Violet thanked him as she scanned the company card and the QR code on the back and it brought up the "company website" for her before she went through the catalog that had been put together before she placed an order right there on the spot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you so much, you can have the card back, I got all I wanted and needed." Violet grinned happily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm glad I could be of service Ma'am. You both have a good day," He bid them before he took Buddy's own shipments and left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That was really nice of you to mention that to him. Thank you Mr. Pine." Violet thanked Buddy gratefully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're welcome. Also he gave me this one Saturday for you. So you won't have to go without a good pen until the shipment comes in." Buddy nodded in turn as he handed the pen in question over to her. Grateful that it had worked and that he was at least, for now- above Violet's suspicion as Violet gasped with a wide bright smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Aww thank you." Violet cooed as she eagerly took it from it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On Wednesday at 9:15 Violet returned with Mr. Nelson and Mr. Soche and after going through the same protocol they returned to the Black Orchid for a suit fitting and Buddy was able to pull Violet aside as they looked over the new ties that had come in while they got some of the suits that had started to come together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Is there any way I can talk with you privately? Where we aren't getting listened to?" Buddy managed to breathe in a whisper in her ear as Violet gave him a look before she managed to pull a shirt that would look hideous on Buddy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Try this on. I dare you." Violet urged him with a giggle but a meaningful look all the same.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Really? You want me to put on yellow? With my hair?" Buddy mock complained but did as she asked as she followed him to the dressing room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ms. Parr, come on, have some mercy on my soul, don't make me come out like this." Buddy pleaded as he put it on and gave himself an unimpressed look in the mirror. He looked awful which got Violet to giggle evilly as she stepped to the other side of the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Just let me see then." She urged him as she used the doors on the dressing rooms on both sides of his own to box them in before she put up a forcefield around them both.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We got thirty seconds. What?" Violet demanded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"About the macarons," Buddy began, keeping his voice to low murmur.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why do we need to talk privately about macarons?" Violet pressed, completely confused as she also hushed her voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Because the look you gave me when I made them for you told me that something was wrong. I saw it in your eyes. Was it because I used to make them for Ta-Mirage?" Buddy asked in a hushed whisper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you think that I think that you remind me of her? Is that why? Do you think that I think that you're Mirage Jr or something?" Buddy asked, trying to keep his voice to a hushed whisper.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You don't?" Violet asked as she tilted her head to the side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No of course not! She's her and you're you and completely different individual people. Sure there are some similarities but not enough to bring her to mind and I made </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> the macarons because I didn't have a snack for you the day before and I felt bad and I was hoping the macarons would be a nice way to make up for it because you told me that you liked macarons." Buddy confessed before Violet blinked in surprise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, ok, fine, here's the deal, the only reason Mr. Sebastian is ok with these outings and me being your handler for these outings and the whole you making me food and stuff and our camaraderie is because </span>
  <em>
    <span>he thinks</span>
  </em>
  <span> that you think that I'm Mirage 2.0. Otherwise he is super jealous and possessive and controlling and I need these outings as a break from him. So if you could actually just drop her name from time to time, just like once or twice and "slip up" to keep him thinking that every once in a while, I would be forever grateful." Violet pleaded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, yeah you got it." Buddy nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you." Violet thanked him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Anything else?" Violet asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No." Buddy shook his head no before she nodded dropped the forcefield and shut the doors quickly and quietly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh come on, it can't be that bad, let me see Mr. Pine, please?" Violet begged just as Mr. Nelson was coming back to check in on them to see Violet leaning against the wall casually on the opposite side of the wall that Buddy's dressing room was in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mr. Pine is shy." Violet giggled to Mr. Nelson from her spot before Mr. Nelson nodded and retreated again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Come on, let me see." She giggled again as she tapped on the door with her foot before Buddy reopened it before Violet snickered a laugh because she honestly didn't notice what he had looked like just a moment before because all she focused on was his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh my God, it does look atrocious on you. That shade of yellow isn't good for you or your complexion. Thank you for humoring me though." Violet thanked him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well I'm happy I could be of some entertainment then." Buddy pretended to grump before his suits were brought into the dressing room from the back by Mr. Sudwar before Buddy practically ripped the shirt off of himself and barred his upper body in just a wife-beater undershirt and Violet was struck by how </span>
  <em>
    <span>built</span>
  </em>
  <span> Buddy was. She knew he was stocky, but to realize that he had some serious, frankly gorgeous sculpted muscle because in his apartment was a personal gym that he used quite often and by the way he worked out, Violet could tell that had been part of his routine before. And while he still had a bit of a paunch left, he was frankly built like an ox and strong as one too as Buddy noticed she was staring at him and was appreciating the view at least.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Miss Parr?" Mr. Sudwar prompted which caused her to jump and break her out of her sudden lust filled daze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, Mr. Sudwar, the suits, yes, he's ready to try them on. Uh, let me just take that and put it back." She practically ripped the shirt out of Buddy's hands and the hanger off the wall as her cheeks stained cherry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Are you alright Ms. Parr?" Mr. Sudwar asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes I'm fine, I'm fine, Mr. Pine is fine, he's fine, I'm fine, we're fine, we're fine, I need to stop saying fine, thank you." Violet quickly stuttered and stammered as she just blushed harder and quickly tried to get the shirt back on the hanger and get it back to where it was in the shop as Mr. Nelson and Mr. Soche tried their best not to laugh at her clearly flustered state.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You ok?" Mr. Nelson asked Violet as he came to stand next to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, I just got caught staring indecently at the asset. Damn it his wife-beater was showing off <em>those guns</em>." Violet confessed in a harsh whisper to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You and arms." Mr. Nelson teased.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Shut up. This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>so embarrassing</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Violet complained as she managed to get the shirt hung back up before she covered her face with her hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well I mean, I've seen your dad…" Mr. Nelson continued with a knowing grin and a playful nudge to Violet's shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <b>Don't!</b>
  <span> Don't you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> go there! And this incident will never be known by anyone else for as long as we all shall live." Violet harshly whispered yelled at him with a dirty glare.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're the boss, boss." Mr. Nelson simply grinned as he put his hands up in defeat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes I am." Violet confirmed as she took a deep cleansing breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey Ms. Parr?" Buddy called out before Violet turned on her heel and went back to the dressing room and tried to slip back into her cool composure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes Mr. Pine?" Violet asked calmly, doing her best to be professional again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why are these suits so heavy?" Buddy asked as Violet took a deep breath before she turned to Mr. Sudwar.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Is Mr. Sanchez still in the building?" She asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes." Mr. Sudwar confirmed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Can you get him for me please?" She requested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course." Mr. Sudwar nodded as he left and a few moments later Benny came out, looking like just another tailor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Mr. Pine, meet Mr. Sanchez. Mr. Sanchez, meet Mr. Pine, can you please explain what you've done to Mr. Pine's suits that would cause them to be heavier than normal and why?" She requested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course. Each piece of the suit, the jacket, vest and pants are lined with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kalsix</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it's a special fabric that will deflect anything from bullets, to a knife to a missile. It's fireproof and resistant to most flammable liquids and other corrosive liquids as well, you can pour battery acid on it and it won't melt and because of the properties of the fabric- if you get tazed- it'll lesson the tazing because it'll absorb most of the electrical current. It's the best secret armor you can wear and it will protect you when she can't or even they can't." Mr. Sanchez announced as he nodded to Violet and then to the body guards.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"The only thing is that it's not that breathable, elastic or light. But it will keep you safe." Violet admitted to Buddy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, well, thank you." Buddy graciously thanked him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't thank me, thank her. She's the one who insisted on it." Mr. Sanchez nodded towards Violet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you, that'll be all." Violet thanked him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No problem, I gotta get back to work." Benny excused himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Job done right?" Buddy guessed as Violet nodded again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Exactly." Violet nodded and smiled appreciatively.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the fitting, they stopped for lunch again before Violet had them go to the Merry Cherry Bakery where they had a whole section just for macarons.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ms. Parr, this is a surprise, you usually come on Fridays." Mable noted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I know, I was needing an extra fix this week, I also brought in a friend from work, this is Mr. Pine who also shares my love of macarons, and I of course told him that this was one of the best places to find the most amazing macarons." Violet praised as Buddy looked over the selection appreciatively.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ooh, they have cheese crowns." Buddy realized.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Get whatever your heart desires Mr. Pine, my treat. Guys, same goes for you, get whatever you want." Violet offered to Mr. Nelson and Mr. Soche.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sweet." Mr. Soche grinned before he placed his order before Mr. Nelson did and then Buddy practically got one of every kind of macaron and along with his own personal preferences as Violet made sure to make mental notes of what Buddy liked and preferred for future reference.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A week before they had to leave for Vegas, they returned once again to the Black Orchid for a final suit check and Buddy really loved what he found in the mirror, especially when Violet came to stand beside him to check the fit herself, making sure he could move freely and comfortably in them and to feel Violet run her hands over his body was frankly heaven for Buddy. Plus they looked really good together, although if Buddy was honest, it was Violet who could make anyone and everyone look good just by standing beside them and Violet had them go back to Vers for another 'man spa day' to make sure Buddy would look and feel his best and even went and got special luggage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ok, I gotta know, not that I'm complaining, but why the massages and spa treatments?" Buddy asked once they got back to his apartment as she was once again helping him put things away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're an important and valuable asset to SEB, and it is currently my responsibility to make sure that you perform at the most successful rate possible. And burn out, touch starvation and lack of enrichment and the like are hindrances to your performance and we can't have that can we Mr. Pine?" Violet explained. Knowing that was the 'right answer' but again the sweet sadness she portrayed in her eyes made Buddy's heart begin to feel uncomfortably constricted as his look soon mirrored hers which in turn made Violet feel so awful and guilty for giving him that answer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I just...I don't want you getting touch starved. I've been there and it sucks and mentally it can push anyone into reading too much into simple, kind, and genuinely platonic gestures and make them see more meaning than is there. And the way I see it, you're a <em>compulsory guest</em>. Might as well make your stay as comfortable as I can because we're still just two birds in side by side gilded cages, if I can share a toy or two, then I will, </span>
  <em>
    <span>if</span>
  </em>
  <span> it means that you'll stay in it and won't try to break out of it every chance you get and the more you can stand and bear the confinement, the better for all of us. And if you break out, I have to hunt you down, it's my job, it's actually written in my contract that 'any asset rented or owned or otherwise by SEB Industries that is lost or stolen must be retrieved </span>
  <em>
    <span>or destroyed</span>
  </em>
  <span>'." Violet quoted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And I don't want to do that. Because when I hunt, I hunt to kill, <em>I have to.</em> And I don't…" Violet began as she mentally chided herself for her eyes getting glassy and Buddy was awestruck that she didn't want to kill him, that she actually cared enough and was attached enough to not want to harm him, but instead help him all the ways she could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet took a sharp inhale through her nose to clear it and blinked the glassiness to her eyes away and damning herself for being so transparent but at least- hopefully- Phillip was watching this and thinking that she was just emotionally manipulating Buddy again. That would be her only saving grace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hunting is a hassle and I don't want the hassle. So take pity on me and don't force my hand to do it Mr. Pine." Violet said, while her tone was forced to be light and teasing, her eyes were still sincere in their pleading with him and Buddy didn't trust his voice not to break with emotion if he tried to talk so he just nodded in understanding and agreement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you. Good night Mr. Pine." Violet offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Good night Ms. Parr." Buddy managed to get out before Violet saw herself out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Bravo." Phillip clapped dramatically when she returned to his office which got Violet to laugh, albeit, a bit mirthlessly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was ready to promise to never run away. The way you play him and pull on every heart string is just...marvelous. You're the best, you need an Emmy." Phillip praised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh stop, you're being dramatic and embarrassing me. But, there's a reason I'm the best there is and why you pay me so much." Violet could only point out, forcing her smugness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What am I going to do with out you My Dear?" Phillip cooed as he enveloped her into her embrace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're going to be just fine. Whoever takes my post after I leave will handle you perfectly well." Violet assured him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What if I don't want anyone but you to handle me?" Philip proposed as he started swaying in place as he managed to get her tablet out of her hand and start dancing with her in his office, hoping that was romantic enough for her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Phillip, you know I'm still under a contract with you. And while I'm cool with friends with benefits- any more than that is too dangerous, especially for you. Because I already have a big enough target on my back just being a Super, but being your handler is an even bigger one and being your romantic partner would be an even bigger one. Now don't get me wrong, I do thoroughly enjoy being your handler and full time babysitter." Violet teased which got Phillip to chuckle and hum before he couldn't help but kiss her and was happy she at least kissed him back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But everyone knows I'm important to you. If I would be your handler and your romantic partner. There's no telling what could happen, and you already have enough enemies as do I, we can't risk combining them, at least not right now. I don't want anyone to use me against you or to get to you or harm you or anything like that. That and you know as well as I do that while I'm still under contract, The Agency can pull me out at any time without anyone's say so, even my own. They can still come in here and drag me out kicking and screaming. I'm still Invisigirl for the next two years and that contract is iron clad. You know it is, because you were the one to help draw it up and the only thing harder than your contracts is perhaps maybe this." Violet managed to purr as she stroked his manhood suggestively, already feeling it harden beneath her touch, even though she was far from feeling romantic herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And you shouldn't have to wait on anyone, let alone me. Because while I'm a great agent and Super and handler, I'm a shitty girlfriend and would make an even worse wife because all the things that make me awesome in the former make me lousy in the latter. It's just the way it is and it's the trade off. But it's one I gladly and happily do. If you want a girlfriend that badly, get one of your ballerina/model types. They'll look better with you anyway and they're more suited to you than I am." Violet insisted. Already having had this conversation many times before and getting sick and tired of having it but she couldn't let Phillip know that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Fine, for now, but the second your contract is up, be prepared to be wooed." Phillip playfully warned her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Woo all you want, it would still be up to me to decide to accept or not. Besides, who knows, you may even grow bored with me before then or you'll find the love of your life by then too. All we have is right now, let's just enjoy it and not spoil it." Violet urged him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"If you insist." Phillip caved, but he was far from deterred. If anything he was even more firmly set in his belief that she was the one for him. And it would just be a matter of making her see it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile a new mole finally made his way into the surveillance department and he set up piggybacks on all the feeds to all the cameras. And while SEB security was top of the line, the mole's was still one step ahead while another team made it's way to Violet's apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Sir, her place is already bugged, like beyond what the CIA and FBI do, any more bugs in here and I'll have to call an exterminator. You can practically hear every neighbor piss in here. She's already under very heavy surveillance. Do you want us to piggy back these feeds too?" A henchman reported.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes." Came the reply and after the piggybacks were put in place, they then traced the feeds back to the data banks it was all stored on and then the hunt began to find anything and everything they could. Useful or not.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ah, the temptation, the choice, THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST. I love it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Vegas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Every journey starts with little steps, then big steps. First big step.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chapter 6</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buddy sent the message to<em> not</em> spring the gilded cage for any reason. Not yet anyway. He needed to secure the second bird first which is what he referred to Violet as and insisted that she was not a threat. And that meant that he had to get all the medical data for Violet’s medication because at this point he had developed a preventative medicine for Violet to take daily to keep the headaches from occurring in the first place. Like heartburn medication but for her brain. One of the downsides to the new meds was even though she took it daily and could still use her powers, she could only use them so much before she felt the headaches come back. But the more she took it and the less she used her powers, the better, like getting ahead of the curve instead of always chasing behind it. Buddy wanted to make sure that Phillip could never, ever hold this over her or use this against her to keep her with him. The other downside was they were slightly toxic, but in small doses, she was ok and would build up a tolerance, but it meant she couldn’t overdose or speed up her own progression of the medicine. She had to stick to the regimen precisely. But it gave Buddy and the medical team time to come up with an alternative. But it would, in theory, cure her, however it would take years and Buddy feared what those toxins would do for her long term but it had been the best solution he could come up with so far. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hoped and prayed that while they were in Vegas nothing would happen. Because if anything did, it would screw him over from ever breathing the outside air ever again for the next three years. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning Mr. Pine.” Violet greeted at 9:50 am when she came in to gather him and his things. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning Ms. Parr.” Buddy answered, damning himself for sweating like a stuck pig. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you ok?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just really nervous, I want everything to go well and I don’t want anything to go wrong because I want to be able to breathe outside air between now and three years from now.” Buddy confessed as he used a handkerchief to wipe his brow from the sweat that had accumulated there since the last time he wiped it only a few moments before. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, we got about two minutes before the others come, come with me.” Violet insisted as she put her tablet and her phone on the counter and took his hand and quickly led him into the apartment side of the space and into the bathroom before pulling him into the shower before putting up another forcefield around them to give them privacy since the shower doors were frosted for privacy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Buddy, you are worrying me with your worry. Do you have any reason to believe that anything would happen? That anyone, including yourself is in danger?” Violet pressed as she looked into his eyes both pleadingly yet determined. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I have no reason to believe there’s sabotage or imposter-ing or an attack or anything like that. I’m just...I’m just scared. Cause if anything happens, I get put on lock down and I don’t want to lose the precious few freedoms I have, I don’t want to betray your trust.” Buddy professed as he stared right back into those magnificent violet eyes she had before her look softened and she dropped the forcefield and just hugged him which surprised him at first before he returned it just as tightly. Oh this was heaven. Just hugging her and holding her. She smelled amazing and the hug was so grounding and comforting to him. It’s exactly what he needed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s going to be ok Buddy. I’m nervous too. I don’t want anything to happen either. And if you say you don’t have a reason to suspect anything then I believe you and I trust you to tell me the truth. If you’ll be honest with me, I’ll be honest with you. Deal?” Violet murmured into the crux of his neck and shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Deal.” Buddy answered as he realized that even though he was getting massages and not getting touch starved per say, he was starting to starve for her and now he really hoped that nothing bad would happen. He had her trust. That’s all that mattered. He had it and he needed to keep it. But all too soon she was pulling away from him and straightening up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll be ok, you’ll see.” Violet sweetly assured him as she reached out and squeezed his hands with her own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you ready to leave Mr. Pine?” Violet asked, slipping back into her liaison voice once again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” He confirmed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good, you look great by the way, the cream suit and baby blue shirt suits you very well, so handsome.” Violet praised as she then led them out of the bathroom with his hand still in hers as he looked from her to the mirror to see for himself, giving his reflection a smile because,</span>
  <em>
    <span> she said he looked great, handsome even</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But once they left the apartment side of the lab and the door opened, Violet quickly let go of Buddy’s hand and hastened her pace to quickly gather her tablet and her phone again before she also opened the watch box and put the watch on his wrist, using her thumb print to lock it into place before taking the pin and putting it on his lapel and then straightening up his other handkerchief that matched his tie that was in the breast pocket and straightened up his tie bar, tie and collar.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There, picture perfect.” Violet smiled happily once she was done as the security detail gathered Buddy’s luggage and brought it down to the vehicle before another woman came into the room, dressed similarly to Violet. She was perhaps a little taller and more robust than Violet but very professional looking and had the same commanding presence that Violet had. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ms. Parr? Is the asset ready?” She asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes he is. Mr. Pine, meet your handler. This is Veronica Andrews. Miss Andrews, this is Mr. Pine.” Violet introduced. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello, pleasure to meet you.” She cordially greeted as she shook hands before Violet touched her phone with hers and had her touch the lock on Buddy’s wrist with her thumb print. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You two are now tethered. Mr. Pine, the distance of your tethering will be adjusted according to Ms. Andrews’ preferences and specifications. Also Nelson, Leland, Soche and Pike will be your security detail. They all know your safety protocol. Ms. Andrews. If you would please state for the record what your safety protocol password is?” Violet urged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pumpernickel.” Veronica answered with an amused grin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Pine?” Violet prompted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shmoke.” Buddy said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excellent, these passcodes will be used until we have a breach in security in which case- the passcodes will be changed. Ms. Andrews, do you relieve me?” Violet formally asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am relieving you Ms. Parr from Mr. Pine as an asset and am taking control of the asset.” Veronica confirmed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am relieved. See you soon.” Violet bid them before Buddy was taken down to the street to get loaded into a car along with his luggage as Mr. Leland and Mr. Nelson took the drivers and passenger sides of the car, opening the doors for Buddy and Veronica while Violet took the helicopter to the airport to get Phillip squared away herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How was he?” Phillip asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s understandably nervous because he has realized that if any tiny little thing goes wrong, it’s his head that’s gonna roll. Who wouldn’t be at least a little anxious? Remember how I was the first time I was in charge of taking you anywhere?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah you had six different escape routes for every street and stop light we would either go through or stop at, you had it in your head it was gonna be a 16 blocks kind of mission and you had every conceivable attack figured out and countermeasures taken. Half of my security team threatened to quit if they had to deal with you ever again.” Phillip huffed a laugh before taking another sip of his drink. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well he’s equally anxious as I was. I would think he’s gonna get an ulcer by the end of the weekend. Thankfully the only thing he’s responsible for is himself.” Violet mused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still think we should test him.” Phillip said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that’s not fair, to anyone.” Violet insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When is life fair?” Phillip returned and Violet had a feeling he was going to whether she agreed or not. But she knew full well that Phillip was determined and if he was going to do this. She was at least going to make it worth it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want to make it a proper test and a proper bet?” Violet asked determinedly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes. If he fails the test. Another year will be added to his servitude.” Phillip began as Violet suddenly liked the sound of that term. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A year is a fair term. Fine. If he passes. A year off. Breaking and entering for a white male is three to six months usually in the system- with no priors- or a year with. And you’re tripling the timeframe. So I say, when and if he passes. He will only be in your contracted servitude for two years instead of three.” Violet specified before she offered her phone and let her finger hover over the record button. “Do we have a deal?” Violet asked as she offered her hand for him to shake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Deal.” Phillip agreed and shook her hand before they repeated the terms and agreed to them on the recording just as Buddy’s car pulled into the lot and he was unloaded from the SUV and put on the plane with them as everyone’s luggage was loaded into the plane as Veronica directed where Buddy should sit, since she spent the entire way there dictating her own rules for her asset which were much stricter than Violet’s ever were but Buddy understood he would have to walk the line but he didn’t like the smug grin Phillip had when Phillip looked at him- the way a wolf would look at a lamb but one look at Violet and her simple reassuring smile was enough for him as Phillip immediately set off getting the perfect trap for Buddy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miss Andrews, a word.” Phillip urged her as he got up and straightened up as Veronica practically bounced out of her seat to go with him to the back of the plane as Buddy frowned in confusion after them but another reassuring smile from Violet helped his nerves from fraying completely but he did shoot her a text.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘What’s going on?’ Buddy asked with a questioning glance to Violet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Nothing you need to be worried about. You told me that I had no reason to be worried and if you are a man of your word, then I believe you and I trust you and I’ll take that leap of faith. So if I’m not worried, you don’t need to be either.’ Violet replied before Phil came back with the smuggest grin on his face as Veronica looked a little blushed herself with a giddy smile but sporting a new pair of very high tech glasses, the same kind of glasses Violet used when she needed to see what the naked eye never could which got Violet to humph as she decided to put on her own before both Veronica and Violet returned to a schooled stoic look before Phillip sat down next to Violet before Violet simply adjusted the angle of her phone in her hand so he could read the text before Phillip huffed a laugh and curled his lip derisively. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re gonna fall on your face.” Phillip sneered lowly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll see.” Violet maintained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But if she’s on high alert, I am too. Besides, since you’re <em>so sure</em> that he’s gonna run, I have to be ready to apprehend him and take him down don’t I?” Violet pointed out in a low murmur so no one else would hear the conversation which got Phillip to frown and grump himself and look sullenly out of his window as Violet gave Buddy a quick wink and another smile because she knew Phillip played dirty and tried to think of all the ways Phillip was going to sabotage Buddy and what countermeasures she was going to make to even the odds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the relatively short and uneventful flight to Vegas, Buddy happily checked into the nice suite that had been arranged for him which was coincidentally right across the hallway from the suite Violet and Phillip had gotten before Veronica put special sensors with hidden cameras all around the suite so that she would know exactly where he was within the room at all times but only told Buddy that it was sensors as Buddy’s gut was telling him that that’s not all they were as he warily stared at them but one of the rules was not to mess with the sensors so he simply unpacked and settled in as he crashed on the bed. He knew something was up. He just had to think of what it was and be ready for whatever it would be then his phone dinged as he picked it up to look at it and noticed it was a text from Violet, inviting him down to the pool and suddenly he felt like swimming as he messaged Veronica, asking if they could go down to the pool and to his delight- she confirmed and Buddy got dressed in his swim trunks and flip flops and waited until Veronica got him and was surprised she was also wearing a bathing suit and a bathrobe and just as they were about to leave Mr. Leland was opening the door for Violet who was just inside the room in her super suit before she hit a button on it and the suit itself vanished, leaving her bathing suit underneath it the only thing visible on her body and it was Buddy’s turn to be blown away and awestruck and his mouth was suddenly dry before Violet lifted the bathrobe around her shoulders just as Phillip came out, wearing his own swim trunks and suddenly Buddy felt like a big fat hog next to a greek god. Because Phillip was jacked. How was he supposed to compete with that? Why would Violet ever look at him with lust or desire when she had </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>at her fingertips? And just like that, his ego was hit and starting to deflate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And once at the pool, it didn’t let up because once at the pool, Violet shrugged off her bathrobe and revealed she had the most kickass tattoo on the back of her left shoulder and the way that bikini hugged her body was a work of art and the way her amazing, curtain of ebony locks fell down her back before she brushed them to the side to braid her glorious mane under the cabana with Phillip. No wonder most people thought they were an item. He would have assumed as much. </span>
  <span>And to see Phillip and Violet put sunscreen on each other while he struggled just to get enough on his own fair self before he burned to a crisp was tantamount to torture. He knew Phillip was flaunting her and his closeness with her in his face and there was nothing he could do about it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Need some help?” Veronica finally asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes please. Thank you.” Buddy confirmed as he handed her the sunscreen as she dutifully applied it to him just as a seemingly drunk and tipsy girl came and sat down nearby who was happily sucking down her bucket of a cocktail. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god you guys are such a cute couple!” She gushed in her very thick Long Island accent as she seemed to notice them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, no, we’re not together.” Buddy quickly corrected her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then why is she applying sunscreen? Is she your sister?” She asked as Buddy looked at her like she was crazy since Veronica was very clearly <em>black</em> as Veronical snorted a laugh.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No…” Buddy slowly answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh well what is she to you then? Is she a friend with benefits?” She continued to guess. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Buddy shook his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m his head of security.” Veronica finally stepped in which got the inebriated girl to gasp in delight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are such a great guy to not only get a woman but a woman of color protect you! Affirmative action for the win!” She cheered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why does she need to protect you? Are you like, super important that people want to hurt you? Are you Jeff Bezos?” She asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Buddy exclaimed as Veronica straight up laughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He wishes. I think you’re going to be ok Mr. Pine,  I’m gonna get a drink.” Veronica decided and Buddy actually whimpered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no don’t leave me with the drunk girl.” Buddy pleaded but Veronica just laughed as she walked away as the drunk girl came and sat down facing him in the next sunchair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Pine, ooh so important, is it after pine like the tree? Do you own a lumberyard?” She asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I don’t own a lumberyard, but yes pine like the pine tree.” Buddy answered as he stared after Veronica and even looked to see Nelson and Leland at a distance chatting with Veronica at the bar since Soche and Pike were in their rooms getting some sleep since they would be taking the night shift. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you hungry? Do you want some nachos? Or do you want a drink? Oh do you want to try some of mine it’s so good!” She gushed as she offered it to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No thanks, I don’t drink and swim.” Buddy tried to politely refuse, even though right at this moment, there was nothing he wanted more but Veronica had a very strict- you will only drink water- policy while she was his handler. Because water was best at showing whether or not your drink was tempered with. But he if he absolutely insisted. He could have one social drink a day so Buddy was saving it for later in the evening. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you here with someone? Like a bachelorette party or something?” Buddy tried to get rid of her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I like your watch, it’s so fancy.” She said as she grabbed his wrist and pulled it closer to her face so she could see it better. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, hands off.” Buddy tried to shake her but she had an iron grip and she pulled him with surprising strength until he was leaned all the way over as she used her bucket drink to hide their faces. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m a friend of Violet's, she asked me to keep an extra eye on you. Stay vigilant. That’s all I can say and don’t let anyone else get this close to you other than those who you explicitly trust and stare at any other girl other than her because her current asset is a piece of work and he’s not above punishing her for your offending gaze and vice versa.” She said quickly and in all seriousness, dropping the drunk act in a flash and fixing him with a look that cut him to the core before she slipped right back into the act and got up and pretended to stagger away.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well see you around Mr. Lumberyard!” She waived drunkenly just as Violet dove into the pool which got Buddy to turn his attention back to her just as Veronica returned with a drink and a bottle of water for Buddy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thought Miss Drunk Girl stood a chance.” Veronica noticed as she sat in the sunchair and adjusted the umbrella to shade both of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Drunk girls are never my type.” Buddy informed her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good.” Veronica said simply. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Sebastian has given the order that if you so wish- you can enjoy the company of a companion of the gender of your choice for a short while, if you’re interested, that’s why he pulled me aside on the plane.” Veronica offered. “They even have call girls whose specialty is to impersonate Super’s and they take requests.” Veronica tempted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No thanks.” Buddy firmly refused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well that’s your call. It’s either going to be this weekend, or from what I understand, could be a long time before you get a chance to get laid again.” Veronica mused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re kind of out in public, could we not talk about such things in such a public setting?” Buddy requested. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well if you change your mind, do so sooner than later, because the process of me doing background checks and vetting those companions is a long process and your cut off is 10pm, doors locked, no one in or out which means I have to know by no later than 6pm.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m not gonna change my mind.” Buddy firmly told her because Drunk Girl’s warning was chilling his bones still. If Violet sent her, that meant that Violet knew something was up but couldn’t say anything and the drunk girl did good getting him alone to deliver that message. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She said ‘don’t let anyone you don’t trust get close’. She also told him that Phillip would punish Violet if his ‘gaze was offensive’. Which meant that Buddy couldn’t look at her much or often. All Buddy could do is sit back and fold his arms over his chest and think about this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But hearing Violet squeal as Phillip played with her in the pool was too tempting of a sight. He was just picking her up and throwing her into the pool before jumping in nearby and chasing her under the water as she tried to get away as she was laughing hysterically from being chased, weaving around the little kids in the shallow end before he noticed paparazzi holding their cameras up and clicking pictures from over the fence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Every picture they took of Violet could be a threat to her and her identity. Wasn’t she scrutinized enough? But for all he knew, Phillip had placed his own spy right next to him in Veronica and just as Buddy decided to come into the water, Phillip pulled himself and Violet out of the pool and back into the cabana and after a few laps around the pool and feeling his skin practically sizzle, Buddy decided he had enough torture and figured he’d be at least safe in his room, at least he could watch TV or something. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet was both relieved yet disappointed Buddy left the pool as she had to come to the realization why she was attracted to him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He was soft</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And that wasn’t to say that was a bad thing or a weakness. He had been so comfortable and comforting to hug. While Phillip was sculpted beautifully, cuddling with him was like cuddling with a side of hanging beef. While she was sure Buddy was stronger, he was more function than aesthetic and had a nice ‘dad bod’ but without reminding her too much of her own dad. But who he was as a person, was more attractive than Phillip. Because he was kind, considerate and genuine. It wasn’t a head game all the time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next day was the first day of the Expo and Buddy had to keep his distance but thankfully could meet with his work associates and see his old friends and Veronica kept a respectful distance and still acted like his bodyguard and let him bend the rules of allowing to have a cocktail or two with his own friends and associates which she allowed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So tell me again, what kind of bet would you make that you would get into such a deal that you would have to live at SEB and work for Sebastian of all people?” Keith pressed since that was the “official story” was that Buddy and Phillip had had a big bet between them. If Buddy had won, Phillip would be working for him for three years, if Phillip won, Buddy would work for him for three years. And Buddy lost. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“High stakes poker. Very stupid bet.” Buddy answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you were never that good at cards.” Greg noted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But are you treated well at least?” Keith asked. .</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, like an honored guest, I get a whole floor of the building to myself, most of which is a whole lab with equipment I used to dream of using and then the rest is my own personal apartment, fully furnished. It even has its own gym and laundry facility and full kitchen. Which that in itself is worth millions, especially in the city. And the views are amazing And it’s not like I’m completely cut off from the outside world, I’m here aren’t I? And I have my own security.” Buddy honestly appraised before Phillip arrived with Violet and every guy within sight seemed to become acutely aware that a goddess such as her was in their presence and the way Phillip held her close, like he would a girlfriend was almost challenging. But Violet was still in the glasses, scanning everyone in the room and finding any potential threats to herself, Phillip and Buddy even though Veronica was doing the same but she still smiled fondly as did he when their gazes locked before she forced herself to look away as Phillip took them to the bar and got them drinks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s like I forget Phillip has that knockout of an assistant every time I see him and then she appears next to him and reminds us of our own mortality.” Keith murmured as he gave Violet his own appreciative glance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’d be an even bigger knockout without those glasses though.” Peter, a friend of Buddy’s appraised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I like them. They make her look even more sophisticated.” Buddy shrugged, careful with his words because he had a feeling everything was still being recorded and would be reported.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah but I hear he keeps her on a super short leash and she works 24/7. She never gets a day off. Is that what you're finding?” Greg asked Buddy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, she's my liaison to Sebastian directly but I only see her Monday through Friday- 9-5. She gets weekends off and vacations like anyone else.” Buddy shrugged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But at least you get to see her that much. The rest of us only see her at the expos. What’s she like?” Keith pressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfectly professional.” Buddy answered simply, figuring the less he said about her, the safer he would be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So she’s all business, well, looking like that, I would think she would have to be.” Greg mused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So enough about her, I haven’t seen you guys in what feels like forever, what’s going on? I want to hear what’s going on with you guys.” Buddy suggested before they continued and even got dinner and got to hit the casino a little before Violet and Phillip appeared in the same casino and once again, the attention turned to them as they went to the roulette table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, let’s play some roulette.” Keith urged them before they all agreed and Buddy simply hung his head in defeat and followed his friends over to the table and stood on the other side of the table across from Violet and waited to see what Phillp and Violet would do as Violet looked at the game and everyone else around the table and Buddy could tell she was sizing everyone and everything up before she put a chip on the red two, the black three and the red four as Buddy followed and put his chips on hers in equal amounts while Phillip put his own chips on his own lucky numbers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Place your bets, place your bets.” The dealer offered as others did the same before he spun the wheel and Buddy wondered why Violet would choose these numbers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Violet simply prayed to the universe to show her a sign of how long she would have to be in Phillip’s servitude. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Two!” the dealer called as he gave Violet and Buddy their payouts as Violet blew out a breath of relief before she did the same thing again, only covering it up to five, hoping that the universe would tell her how long Buddy would be in servitude and Buddy was still matching her bets with his own as Phillip continued to do his own thing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Two again!” The dealer called out once the ball hit the 2 box and Violet seemed to be especially pleased and relieved before she took a leap of faith and put two chips on both the 25 slot and the 31 and that’s when Buddy realized the pattern. 2- how long she had the contract to work for Phillip, the second two was maybe a confirmation. But he knew Phillip was 25 and he was 31. She was asking who to bet on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thirty one!” The dealer called out and Violet didn’t want to push her luck anymore and quit betting but Buddy simply put his own chips on 24 for the next round as he gave her a meaningful look as Violet was all too eager to see where the ball landed and even he could see Violet breathe heavier as the ball bounced around on the wheel as they shared a meaningful look. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Twenty four.” The dealer called out and her smile was more precious than any bet’s payout. And after that, Buddy himself stopped playing, taking her own cue before Phillip tried once more, putting his own lucky numbers down but once again- it landed on any number than what Phillip chose before he finally gave up and went around to the other games, losing more and more money while every time Violet was near Buddy, he would do nothing but win as they all found themselves at a high stakes black jack table, only this time they were also joined by Xavier Fissured who was also Phillip’s and Buddy’s second fiercest rival and Violet had her own history with him, specifically his wife who was Ziva, who’s Super name was Razuva since she could control metal but could also conjure blades from the shadow realm and she had a penchant for making things razor sharp daggers and then throwing them at people. But while Violet had been on the Superhero side,  Ziva had been a neutral Super and never signed on with The Agency and instead had been hired as Xavier’s personal assistant and bodyguard and his one woman army. In fact it was because of Xavier’s relationship with Ziva that Phillip felt he needed to imitate it since Xavier had only been following in Buddy’s footsteps with Mirage or Natalia as he knew her. Only Xavier made his relationship with Ziva work flawlessly and it was because of Xavier’s success with Ziva by his side that Phillip was following Xavier’s example of getting his very own personal Super in Violet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bartholomew, I think this is the first time I’ve seen you without Natalia. Although I must say it’s been several years since I’ve seen either of you, where have you been hiding out lately?” Xavier asked as Ziva and Violet exchanged a meaningful look. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh I’ve been around. But Natalia, she, she left me, she got married to Bill Willouse about seven years ago.” Buddy answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah I did remember seeing that in the paper, don’t you remember me showing you that Dearest?” Ziva noted sweetly to Xavier. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yes, she has had two children since then right?” Xavier asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, little Billy, and Luca. Thankfully they take after Natalia more than Bill.” Ziva answered with a fond smile as Buddy was torn between feeling sorry for himself, feeling happy for Natalia yet wondering what Violet would be like as a mom while Phillip was looking at Violet and wondering the same thing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How are your own children doing Ziva? Are they here with you?” Violet asked, shifting the focus of the conversation for Buddy’s sake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re doing just fine, thank you for asking Violet, they're at home with the sitters, so it's a couple's retreat of a business trip for us this time. How’s your family doing? Being safe? I understand your littlest brother was almost kidnapped as an infant.” Ziva dug with a smug smirk with a side eye at Buddy as Buddy’s cheeks flushed as did Violet’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh how awful. Who would dare steal an infant?” Keith asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh I heard it was a Supervillain, Syndrome wasn’t it? But he died shortly after correct?” Xavier asked Violet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He did, his cape got caught in the air suction of a jet turbine. That’s why most Supers these days don’t wear capes anymore. Sure they look cool but functionally a hindrance. Of if they do wear capes it’s for press and public appearances only.” Violet answered. “But to answer your question, Jack is doing fine, he’s in the fifth grade now, he’s staying with Aunt Edna during spring break. Helping her design her winter line because Jack loves fashion, my parents think he’ll be the next Ralph Lauren.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, that’s so nice and such a safe occupation. I love it when young ones find their calling early and really throw themselves into it, it shows drive and determination.” Xavier praised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, the problem is every time I get to visit home, he wants to dress me up constantly because I’m his only sister and the only one with enough patience to let him use me as a fashion doll. He actually made me the dress I’m wearing tonight.” Violet revealed as she looked down at it.  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Wow, he’s very talented, because I was about to ask you where you got it because it’s beautiful, and it hugged you like it was custom made for you, I was about to ask if Edna had made it for you.” Ziva praised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you have one other brother correct? The Olympian? Dash Parr, he’s always the fastest in all of his races, set some world records.” Xavier asked thoughtfully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep. He runs circles around everyone, that he practically lives on a steady diet of White Lightning Energy drinks because his idol White Lightning himself, his walls are covered in posters of him.” Violet revealed and Buddy thought hard before realization dawned on him but one look of warning from Phillip and Violet had him keeping his revelation to himself before they were dealt again and Violet got twenty so she stayed where she was. While Phillip was at 17 while Buddy sat at 16 while Xavier was also at 20 while Ziva was at 19 herself. Phillip tapped on the table and got a six of clubs and was out. Buddy decided to go for broke and tapped the table, gesturing that he wanted another card. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And it’s a five of spades. Black Jack.” The Dealer announced. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Congratulations Mr. Pine.” Violet offered and even though she lost, she was content that at least Buddy won that hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the very next hand Violet got 21 which made her happy to finally win one before the drunk girl returned. Thankfully less ‘inebriated’ than she was before and gasped when she recognized Buddy. But in reality had been shadowing all of them all night, but just outside of Buddy’s notice. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Mr. Lumberyard!” She exclaimed, her loud, thick Long Island accent cutting through the chatter like a bull horn which got Buddy to drop his shoulders in defeat and groan as Violet, Phillip, Xavier and Ziva all started snickering their laughter which soon infected the rest of the table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what are we playing? Are we playing black jack?” She asked and Buddy had to reach out on both sides of himself to his friends and hold his friends in their seats to keep her from getting too close but she still pressed herself up to his back and Buddy sat as straight as he could to get away from her.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miss, could you please give me some personal space?” Buddy requested. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, sorry, otherwise your bodyguard over here will body slam me huh?” She said as she backed up just a smidge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No but you are still encroaching on Mr. Pine’s personal space, please back away Ma’am.” Veronica urged her as she moved her back even more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ma’am is so formal, I’m Cindy! Oh is this seat open?” She offered her hand for Veronica to shake before Cindy got the last available seat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my goodness so much energy at this table, it’s so magnetically charged. You Sir- I’ve never seen a truer neutral energy. You let good things come to you, work for what you truly want and let go what doesn’t work yet you find contentment easy, it’s why you’re so happy and the biggest reason for that is the lovely lady next to you. Is this your wife? She’s stunning. You compliment her so well. You know I can tell she has a razor sharp wit and just a sharp personality, you two, you two got it right, you’re gonna live happily ever after.” She appraised as she sat at the table as Xavier and Ziva smiled happily at each other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cindy was it?” Ziva returned, trying to peg which Super she was because even if the accent was fake, Ziva felt like she knew her and Ziva simply closed her eyes before she saw three shadow figures behind Cindy and that’s when Ziva figured out ‘Cindy’ was <em>Fates.</em> Fates was also a neutral Super but completely independent and only popped up at seemingly random times before she disappeared again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Cindy is short for Cinderella, cause my mother is a big fan of Disney.” Cindy began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what brings you to Vegas Cindy?” Ziva questioned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m here to see the Amazing Jonathan, he’s doing a special show this weekend.” Cindy answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So are you like a psychic?” Phillip huffed a laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am!” She confirmed as Violet just grinned more smugly as Ziva could only do the same. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now I can tell that there are three poles at this table, you sir, are the neutral, you sir are the positive one.” Cindy insisted as she gestured to Buddy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” Buddy asked. Not feeling that way at all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you sir. Uh, so much dark negative energy, because you miss- you have slightly positive but still pretty neutral energy which means you’ll only compliment whoever you’re with, but not him, he is just sucking every scrap of positivity in your life. Is this your girlfriend? Not a wife, I’m not getting wife vibes. I sense so much unhappiness here. You guys are unevenly matched. It’s never gonna work. Honey, cut your losses, maybe get with Mr. Positivity over here, I get a feeling you’d fare better. In fact yes, my spirit guide Mama Momo, she’s telling me that you two have less than five years left in your relationship.” She insisted as she gestured between Phillip and Violet as Violet simply blinked in surprise but bit her lips to keep her smile from cracking her face in half and to keep herself from laughing in utter delight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not his girlfriend, I’m his assistant.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, thank God, because a romantic relationship between you is doomed. And you sir, the best advice I can give you is you better be changing your energy to more positive energy because once she’s gone, you’re going to have a hard time replacing her. You have been blessed to have her in your life. It took a lot of searching for you to find her and it’s taken so much to keep her but the more you try to lock her in and keep her with you, the more you lose her and drive her away. She is an emerald, a priceless gem with no compare. But you know the thing about emeralds? You drop a diamond, it bounces, but if you drop an emerald, they shatter, they’re more precious and rarer than diamonds, and they look so strong but they’re surprisingly <em>so delicate</em> and fragile and you are asking too much from her. When I look at you Ma’am, all I see is an emerald in a setting that’s too small and too tight. Not the setting for you Doll.” Cindy appraised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm, interesting. So you said he was positive? What do you see when you look at him?” Violet asked as she nodded over to Buddy who looked a little alarmed at the prospect. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Mister Positivity. He’s like one of those big strong giant trees, like a cedar or pine, he’s grown despite very difficult circumstances and he has turned so much beauty and wonder from his own pain, he’s growing in the mouth of a now dormant volcano, but it won’t erupt ever again, he’ll be safe, he’s hardy and has been pushed and battered by the weather and survived forest fires in the past and after every trial, the world sees him growing stronger because of the trial and learning to bend instead of breaking. And his roots are deep. He’s very nurturing, he’s creative and loves to see the things around him grow and why everything he seems to touch thrives and turns out so well. That’s why his friends find so much refuge with him. look at them, flocking to his sides and supporting him through thick and thin because they find shade and relief near him and sustenance and the birds of paradise find their roosts in his boughs . He’s not the prettiest tree in the forest but he’s the pillar of it, one of the original trailblazers. But I get the sense that something is trying to plant a fence around you to keep you from growing too big while you’ve been dormant for a few seasons. Which is ok, every tree has a dormant season and yours was just longer than you were used to, it scared you and pushed you to extremes, maybe a bad decision or two. But now that you’ve come out of your dormant stage and you’re growing again, you’ll break free of the fence faster than you think you will and you’ll consume the fence and turn it into something beautiful. Miss Emerald, you’d be better off with the tree than the sponge next to you.” She appraised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too bad I’ve signed a noncompete then.” Violet answered with a knowing grin and a playful snap of her fingers in mock disappointment.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry I’m a what?” Phillip asked Cindy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a sponge, you know, like one of those ones you use to scrub your dishes. You’re a nice sponge but your rough side is rougher than the gravel of my driveway, but all you do is consume, it’s never enough for you. You don’t know how to give back or give as good as you get. All you do is consume resources and destroy anything you deem a mess. You’re useful. But you lack substance and you can’t hold the resources you acquire for nothing, like an oversaturated sponge, you poke it and it gushes before it soaks it up again. That’s why you keep consuming all you can. Even now, you can’t be happy for anyone else’s success but your own.” She answered before she went around the table appraising everyone else which was entertaining in itself as they continued to play black jack and the more Phillip played, the more he lost while Buddy and Violet kept winning, Xavier and Ziva simply sat and played a few rounds but were content being observers often trading off and once Phillip was out of chips, he just sat and sulked, and despite Violet’s own winning streak, she knew much more of this and Phillip was going to be a nightmare for the rest of the weekend. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, we better call it a night. Good night guys, see you tomorrow at the expo again.” Violet offered as she took her winnings and left the table with Phillip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m gonna call it a night too.” Buddy insisted as he took his own winnings as well, he was then escorted to turn them in as Xavier and Ziva invited Cindy to do a proper reading on them in a more private setting. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you like for me to call Miss Patrice for you this evening?” Violet offered to Phillip, hoping that would at least soothe his bruised ego if he got to play with some strings instead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Phillip answered sullenly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, do you want me to call Miss Julie too?” Violet offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Phillip answered, his tone of voice getting less and less sullen and more agreeable. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, let me turn these in real quick.” She offered before she stepped and turned in all her chips and got a thick wad of bills and put them into her purse before she noticed Buddy and his friends were all behind her, about to do the same, giving Buddy one last appreciative glance and adoring smile over her shoulder before escorting Phillip back to his room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip Dear, stop thinking about what the psychic said, there is nothing about you that has ever been “spongy”.” Violet soothed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But she wasn’t wrong about you, you are a precious gem and you’re more fragile than you like to admit.” Phillip countered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She could have said that about any woman and been right. What woman doesn’t like to think of herself as a precious gem? Beautiful, valuable but delicate. And if she was really a psychic, she would have seen the fiery jet turbine and all the shrapnel that’s still embedded in Mr. Pine’s body when she was “reading” him.” Violet countered but could tell Phillip wasn’t convinced. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She was playing to Mr. Pine’s ego. What man doesn’t like to hear that he’s a great big tree with deep roots that all his friends like to flock to, that’s weathered storms and forest fires but he’s still standing tall and proud? She was just a half drunk woman in a casino. Don’t let her words live in your head rent free. That space is too precious and valuable to let trash like her stay there.” Violet urged, feeling guilty for contradicting her friend’s words but she needed to keep her head and her job at the moment but she took Cindy’s words to heart while hoping that would snap Phillp out of this ‘petulant toddler’ phase he was in today and that finally seemed to work as Phillip seemed to be more resolved before Violet made that phone call to Miss Julie and Miss Patrice for the evening for Phillip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, when they made it up to the room, four ladies of the evening were waiting for them. Two of them, were obviously hardcore dominatrix queens who were draped in special cords for macramé and who were waiting outside Phillip’s room while the other two were dressed up as Supers, Violet stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the cheap- imitation of herself in her old red and black knock off version of her supersuit and she knew a Mirage knock off when she saw it and they were standing outside Buddy’s room before Phillip hooked his arm behind Violet’s back and brought her forward to their room with the smuggest smirk on his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me get changed before you ladies get to work.” Violet offered to Patrice and Julie as she quickly got in the room and got changed into street clothes so she could go where she pleased for the evening and just as she was leaving Buddy was arriving before he himself stopped in his tracks as he stared in horrified shock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miss Andrews, please tell me none of those women are for me because I distinctly remember not wanting any “company” for the late evening.” Buddy tried to say to Veronica as he turned to her as Violet paused as she put on her jacket on in her own doorway before she came over to Buddy.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there a problem Miss Andrews?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, uh, none of those girls are for me.” Buddy insisted as he was sure his cheeks were going to be permanently red. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I made no such arrangements for them either, are they a threat?” Veronica asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait here.” Violet offered before she walked up to the “Supers” but gave Phillip’s direction a glare since he had already gone into the room.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi, Miss Patrice, Miss Juile, Mr. Sebastian will see you now.” She invited as she nodded over to the door before they walked into it and shut it behind them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, what are your names ladies?” Violet asked. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“I’m Invisigirl. And this is Mirage and we’re here to see Mr. Pine.” The first girl said as Violet had never seen a worse- black hair wig in her life. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, who called and arranged for you to come? Did you get a down payment? What was the credit card used?” Violet asked before the girls got their phones out and gave her the details and Violet did her best to keep her cool and if Phillip wasn’t about to get tied up and whipped, she would be doing so herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well it seems there is a bit of a mix-up ladies. You see, Mr. Pine has not ordered or authorized your visit and you have not been vetted because Mr. Pine is the kind of client that needs to have an extensive vetting process for everyone around him. Including anyone spending any private time with him. And what’s more is Mr. Pine was not expecting or anticipating your visit and is not willing or accepting of it either, which no offense to you, this was a prank. So, there are two options for you. One is, you simply accept the down payment and go to your next client. Or the man who did make the arrangements can enjoy his </span>
  <em>
    <span>gift</span>
  </em>
  <span> himself and you can receive the other half of your payment for any and all services rendered to him instead.”  Violet offered as the girls looked at each other and shrugged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Two?” They decided. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then right this way.” Violet said as she then opened her room and led the way. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh Phillip Darling.” Violet called out in a sickeningly sweet tone just as Miss Patrice and Miss Julie were already tying up Phillip who was already naked and ready. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Pine is politely refusing your gift. So, instead of letting such a gift go to waste- it’s being returned to you. Ladies- Meet Phillip. Here’s the second half of your payment. You ladies have fun and maybe if Miss Julie and Miss Patrice are feeling generous, they’ll teach you a thing about macramé.” Violet offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘Whip him </span>
  <b>hard</b>
  <span>’ Violet mouthed to Julie and Patrice with a look as she also slipped them a few bills of her winnings as they started giggling as they finished slipping the blindfold over Phillip’s eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You ladies have fun, I’ll be back in an hour and a half.” Violet cooed before she turned and left the room, her shoes hitting the floor extra hard just in time to see Veronica getting Buddy secured for the night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is Mr. Pine in bed yet?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t be. Ms. Parr, I had nothing to do with that, should I be looking into it?” Veronica insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. And no need, Phillip did it. He’s testing out weaknesses, as usual. You and your team were fine. I would like a word with Mr. Pine though.” Violet requested before Veronica opened Buddy’s door for her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Violet greeted, seeing Buddy simply in his room, putting his winnings away into the room’s safe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, listen I didn’t…” Buddy began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know Buddy, I know. It’s ok. The way you handled that particular situation was perfect and that was Phillip’s stunt and there was no breach between yourself and your own security. If you are ever faced with a situation that isn’t right you turn to your handler and your security team. So bravo.” Violet reassured him as Buddy blew out a breath of relief.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You wouldn’t by any chance be tired or sleepy right now would you?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not...particularly, I’m usually a night owl.” Buddy admitted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you want to go on a walk with me?” Violet asked hopefully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that allowed? Would Miss Andrews be ok with that?” Buddy asked as he paused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, all that needs to happen is for me to take temporary ownership of a different client while she takes ownership of mine for a while so I don't literally strangle him with macramé cords.” Violet answered through a gritted smile and a laugh that conveyed she was being serious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, let’s do it then.” Buddy insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miss Andrews, I’m requesting a trade in assets so I don't endanger my own, just for the next two hours. Because they’re going to be an hour and a half and then if you could call housekeeping to change the linens and other things in the room when they're done, I would be much obliged.” Violet formally requested. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it.” Veronica agreed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh and you’re going to hear a lot of noises, surely you can discern between BDSM noises and actual distress right?” Violet asked Veronica while Buddy did his best not to react too strongly to that and keep his snickering to a minimum. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course.” Veronica nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Pine.” Violet invited as she took his arm but waived off the rest of the security. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get some sleep and some rest guys. We’ll be ok, I need the space from Mr. 2 Year Old right now.” Violet urged them before they nodded and stayed put and just as they got to the lobby, they saw the paparazzi hanging out which gave them both pause. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, isn’t there a hotel bar on the roof?” Buddy suggested. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There is.” Violet realized before they went up to the roof and got a table in the farthest corner away from as many people as they could get.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, what was that down there?” Buddy asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A dirty trick.” Violet answered honestly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pisses me off every time he pulls stunts like that. He was trying to see if one- you would disobey the protocol of having an unvetted person by your side. Your friends were ok because you previously knew them for a long time and trusted them and they posed no threat to you personally. Two- he was testing whether or not you still had feelings or leanings for either Mirage or if you had developed anything for myself which was an especially low blow, even for him. Third, he was out to just plain embarrass you because he has no shame. Fourth, he was giving you a catch 22 because on one hand, he “gifted” those girls and their services. So if you take the gift- he can prove you have “weaknesses” which he himself is guilty of, or if you refused- you’re being rude for not accepting a gift. And all I can do is say- I’m sorry. I’m sorry my boss has the maturity of a 2 year old and if I was not contractually obligated to him- I would have quit tonight and probably asked you for a job if my heart wasn’t so set on retirement and the noncompete wasn’t as long or as extensive as it is. Or better yet, I would have taken the largest horse cock dildo Julie always brings and shoved it up his ass without lube.” Violet spat with a snarl of her own as Buddy eagerly listened to her rant. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah but then you run the risk of the fucker enjoying it.” Buddy ventured which got Violet to crack a grin as he mirrored her as he was so pleased and relieved that Mr. Greek God had flaws that Violet hated. It gave him hope. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Although if you would have quit and asked for job, I would have given you one, fuck that noncompete. Honestly I would give you anything you ask for. Problem is I’m kind of under house arrest, only my house is in an office building in the business sector and I’m not allowed out much.” Buddy appraised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have another island compound that’s self sustainable, I could go there and just wait.” Violet shrugged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are more than welcome to and you have my open invitation to do just that. But it’s still under construction. And not quite as big or as nice as the last one. And three years is an awfully long time to wait, especially for me. I’ll be honest, I’m not worth it.” Buddy admitted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t sell yourself that short.” Violet returned with a playful grin as their drinks were brought to them as they pulled away to accept the drinks but soon had gravitated back together.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What would it take for you to break your contract with him?” Buddy asked curiously before Violet held up three fingers while she took a good long pull from her very strong drink. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pregnancy which is neigh impossible for <em>reasons</em>, my death, or his death, but if I fail to protect him from his untimely death within the parameters of the contract, then I don’t get my final payment but if I die in the line of duty, my family gets the final payment, no strings attatched.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s your final payment? Or am I not allowed to even ask that?” Buddy asked as Violet debated whether or not to tell him before she went with her gut and gestured for him to get closer before they each leaned as far over as they could and thankfully because of the small table, they were practically nose to nose before Violet went to his ear and whispered it into his ear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A hundred million.” Violet breathed as Buddy guffawed like he had gotten sucker punched in the gut. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, now I gotta know, what’s the noncompete?” Buddy asked as they both leaned their elbows up on the table and held their chins in their hands, only a few mere inches between them and well within kissing distance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The noncompete is I can not be what I am for Phillip for anyone else, I can’t be a handler, an assistant, or part of a security detail for anyone in the same fields Phillip is in- which those are almost too numerous to number- for the next </span>
  <em>
    <span>ten years</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Violet revealed, still keeping up their closeness and dropping her voice to a low murmur so that only Buddy could hear her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you could be an advisor, or CEO or something like that.” Buddy tried to point out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah... I’ll be perfectly honest with you Bud- after this job, the only way you’ll get me in an office is a bank- to cash a check. I never want to wear heels or pencil skirts and business jackets again unless I absolutely want to." Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why do I get the feeling you're more of a barefoot, toes in the sand kind of person?" Buddy felt compelled to say. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't know why your feeling is absolutely right." Violet confirmed with a bright smile before she giggled as Buddy laughed at the way she worded that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh my GAWD It's like you're psychic." Violet teased in her best Long Island accent and laughed so hard when Buddy let his head fall off his chin as he slumped onto the table with a whining, whimpering groan as Violet reached out and held his hand with hers which got him to sit up and once again mirror her body language and was happy when she didn't take her hand away, instead she started to trace the scars on his hand and Buddy simply let her do as she pleased because at this point any touch was welcome, if not sorely wanted.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I tried so hard not to laugh when she read Phillip as a wet sponge. I mean she was absolutely right and on point for all of it but jeeze. That was brutal." Buddy admitted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh I know right? God, do you have any idea how much I had to coddle him after that? She was a little too good and he pouts more than any toddler I know." Violet admitted with a scoff. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But she did read you well, and me, and everyone else at the table. And she is very good at what she does. Almost like she is totally a real psychic.” Violet said, even though her tone was light and teasing, she was still being serious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what are your plans for when your contract is up? Or can you not tell me or would you prefer not to answer at this time?” Violet asked, remembering that his watch still had a listening device and grateful he wasn’t wearing the pin at the moment because Veronica had taken it off back in the room and never put it back on as she gave the watch itself a meaningful glance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No it’s ok, honestly, just...business as usual. But definitely without any criminal elements or activity.” Buddy answered which got Violet to smile happily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good, get on the straight and narrow and never get off of it.” Violet admonished. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will do.” Buddy confirmed as they took a moment to finish their drinks and order another one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I ask you a personal question?” Violet prodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ask away.” Buddy invited as he felt the alcohol completely relax himself and loosen his lips, he was liable to tell her anything and everything. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think that you’ll ever be able to move on romantically or was Natalia it for you or have you already moved on?” Violet asked in a low murmur. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, until Xavier asked about her, I hadn’t thought about her in a while.” Buddy said before he figured now was a good moment in time to “slip” as he held up his hands to air quote and gave Violet a meaningful look and mouthed ‘for Phillip’ Buddy pointed to the watch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Although it’s eerie how similar you are to her and you remind me of her a lot. It’s like you are to Phillip, what she was to me.” Buddy said as Violet could only mouth 'thank you' to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where there’s a lot of truth in that actually and it’s because of your relationship with Natalia that inspired Xavier to get with Ziva because Ziva has special “gifts” similar to the gifts and talents that Natalia had and they ended up working out and clicking and having off the charts chemistry and fell in love or so she’s told me. And then Phillip wanted his own “gifted and talented” person by his side. Preferably female, preferably the best The Agency had to offer.” Violet revealed as she pulled his hands down and gave him a meaningful look to indicate she was being completely serious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The only problem was Phillip went through every other agent that The Agency had available and none of them could stand the gilded cage and quit in rapid succession and every time they tried to find a replacement, they just kept upping the price, trying to make the gilded cage more and more appealing. And the thing was is I had already walked away from The Agency at the time and I had gone<em> into the wind</em> and <em>off the grid</em>, like I only talked to my family through burn phones, because I was healing…” Violet began before emotion choked her voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was healing from all the horrible things I suffered previously and it was the only way I knew how to survive to keep myself from going supervillain myself. And it gave me perspective and it forced me to be a human being rather than just a Super.” Violet confessed in a very low, small voice that Buddy had to listen up for but it broke his heart all the same. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And then Phillip gave The Agency an ultimatum, if he couldn’t have his own "Natalia", he wasn’t going to give them tech or do any business with them and he’d be looking for his own, on his own for a Super who wasn’t with The Agency and they couldn’t chance a villain getting to him and him ‘turning to the dark side’. And that’s when they searched high and low for me, they spent over a million dollars just to find me because I was the last resort and I was the last basket to put all the eggs in. And by that point I had healed </span>
  <em>
    <span>just enough</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be more or less- kinda, sorta, stable. But I had only healed to the ‘numb’ stage and the ‘I don’t give a fuck anymore’ stage and they both made me offers I couldn’t refuse. The Agency put up 25 million up front, as a "sign on bonus" and this first year I’ve collected an additional ten million, next year- I’ll collect 20 million, and the last year I’ll collect thirty million, just from The Agency, which they are a trillion dollar company, so it’s not like they didn’t have the money and my final payment with them once this contract is fulfilled is 75 million. And then Phillip, matched it <em>and then some</em>. Phillip gave me 50 million to sign on because I was “<em>the best of the best of the best</em>” which The Agency assured </span>
  <em>
    <span>and insured</span>
  </em>
  <span> that I was and of course he’s matching the increased pay gradient and then of course I got put into bodyguard boot camp for three months in addition to 'how to be an executive assistant and leadership courses. And that’s when Mirage got called and pulled back in and she and Ziva themselves trained me in this job. Which was difficult for Ziva because she was pregnant with her son at the time and Mirage had just had Luca. So that’s why I probably remind you of her, because I’m her protégé. I have been her protégé from the age of 16 till now. The last time we talked was a just a week ago when you became and asset and she had some really incredible insights on you, of course her information was a decade old but so far she’s been right on most of it.” Violet revealed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That...that explains everything.” Buddy had to realize. “So what has she been wrong about?” Buddy asked curiously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your ego. It’s not nearly as massive and all encompassing as it was a decade ago. And instead of trying to make the world fit you and your vision, you’re the one doing what you can to accept and work with your current circumstances and your willingness to work with everyone else, and be a team player, especially with the medical personnel who actually really like you and I heard a rumor that once you’re done with SEB, if you’re going to stay in medicine, they’ll be sending you resumes because they haven't signed noncompetes. You’re also way less entitled than she said you were. Also the video that got me to see <em>you for you</em>, and to realize that things have changed, I had her watch it when we last spoke. <em>She cried</em>. Like she was sobbing. She was and is so proud of you for all the personal growth you’ve done and she made me promise to help you as much as I could. And I’ve been happy to do just that and then once she watched it, she had all kinds of insights and ideas. Like this outing- going to Vegas and seeing your friends, this was her idea and because it was her idea and because she vouched for you and me to Phillip that Phillip was ok with it. And it’s this aspect of my job that I, surprisingly, enjoy the most. Because with Phillip, I’m clearly babysitting. But with you, I’m just hanging out with a friend and it’s easy and such a welcome break because I feel like...I feel like I can just be Violet with you and I don’t constantly have to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ms. Parr</span>
  </em>
  <span>. If you catch my drift. And that’s only because you’re always just you. Both Natalia and Ziva showed me the importance of being a good mirror. So since you’re just you and you’re being genuine and honest and sincere with me. It’s easy and practically effortless for me to be the same. You’re my favorite part of the job and I’m really going to miss you when it’s all over. And it’s because of that that I am dreading so much the possibility of you breaking your own contract and trying to fly the coop earlier than you should because I don’t want to destroy one of the very few very good things in my life.” Violet professed as she wiped a stray tear from her eyes despite her faltering smile and Buddy both wanted to cry and hug her and kiss her and promise and swear his undying love and loyalty to her and only her for the rest of his life but he couldn't quite get the words past his own mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t want you to destroy me either. And you are the single, greatest most amazing thing in my life too, at the moment, and you make all of this bearable and worth it. and it will be because of you and only you that I promise that I’ll never try to break free either. At least until <em>your</em> contract is up. Because that’s what friends should do. Help each other.” Buddy offered, damning his own cowardice for not confessing to more which got Violet to smile appreciatively. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Deal.” Violet offered before she got a call on her phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah?” She answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We have a problem.” Veronica offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh for fuck’s sake what did Phillip do now?” Violet groaned in a whimpering whine. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cocaine.”  Veronica answered in all seriousness before Violet’s eyes snapped wide open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck, I’ll be right there.” Violet said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, I’m extending the tether by a thousand feet, that should be more than enough to get you back to your room, settle us up, I’ll pay you back for mine, I gotta go, Phillip’s high as a kite.” Violet quickly offered as she hopped off her high bar stool and left as Violet started jogging down to the elevator. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, what am I walking into?” Violet asked into the phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He did about two and a half lines of coke off of Invisigirl’s ass.” Veronica answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And?” Violet pressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He thinks he can fly and was trying to leap off the balcony, but Julie and Patrice have him tied to the bed and currently the guards are restraining Mirage and Invisigirl to keep them from untying him because for some reason it’s like they’re brainwashed.” Veronica said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, I’m in the elevator, Mr. Pine and myself were thankfully only at the hotel bar on the roof just getting a drink, so at least I didn’t go too far and he’s up there settling us up so I can come down and I extended the tether so he can come later. Fuck. I can’t leave Phillip alone for <em>five minutes</em>. We weren’t gone but what...27 minutes. Not even half an hour. I knew I should have gone through those protocols with them before I left. God fucking damnit!” Violet cursed herself angrily.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Veronica, this isn’t on you, this on me, this was my lapse in judgement. I knew it was gonna bite me in the ass. At least we have the situation under control and stable right?” Violet furthered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We do, for now.” Veronica assured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good, I’ll get there as soon as the elevator gets me there.” Violet urged before she hung up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet got to the floor and booked it to the room and quickly threw her stuff in a chair as she came over to Phillip who was writhing and trying to hump the air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened?” Violet put to Patrice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Invisigirl brought the MDMA, Mirage brought the coke- He did both in the bathroom when they were “cleaning up” for the second act, he took the MDMA first before we could stop him and when we heard them shushing each other, we knew something was up and we walked in on him snorting coke off Invisigirl’s ass, they had five lines, he did the first two lines and was halfway through the third. That’s when we got the others. I’m so sorry Ms. Parr, I thought they were…” Patrice tried to explain apologetically </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I didn’t clear them, I should have, I was too pissed at him and wanted him to suffer more than the usual, so this is on me. Thank you guys for interfering. You did the right thing. Veronica, <em>please</em> tell me you have Narcan.” Violet urged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s already administered.” Veronica offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank God,” Violet murmured. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Mirage- what happened?” Violet asked as she came over to her to try to get her side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We were just having a good time but Philly needs to fly, we have to untangle him, he needs to fly free!” The girl professed as she continued to struggle against the holds that Phillip’s other body guards had on her and Violet could only look sadly at her because MDMA and cocaine both intensified Phillip's powers and he was using his powers on them to get them to do what he wanted, the weaker the mind, the stronger the effect. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Invisigirl? What happened.” Violet asked, hoping her mind was stronger. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Philly paid for Mr. Pine to have the Hollywood treatment and if Mr. Pine didn’t want it, do it once he passed out. But since we couldn’t do it for Mr. Pine, Philly said he’d take it himself.” She answered and if Violet had been pissed before, she was livid now as her eyes once again burned a luminescent ultraviolet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How long ago did Philly order this?” Violet pressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This morning.” Invisigirl answered before she noticed Violet’s eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah, are you a Super?” Invisigirl asked before Violet got up and stomped over to a bag she had in the closet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need to secure </span>
  <em>
    <span>the Supers</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the chairs.” Violet ordered as she got the machine out of her bag and got it set up as the girls tried to fight the bodyguards who forced them into the chairs as Patrice and Julie helped tie them in the chairs before Violet used her device and erased the last 24 hours of their memories and knocked them out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Veronica, go down to the front desk, get a room for these two to stay the night in.” Violet urged before the now passed out girls were untied and put on the bed with Phillip who was starting to come down from his high. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about us?” Patrice asked as she gestured to Julie and herself as Violet got to her purse and pulled out a few more thousand dollars and handed it to each of them.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As always, this never happened. Thank you so much for doing everything you did tonight and making sure this didn’t blow up in my face anymore than it did. I owe you ladies. Thank you so much for your services, they’re appreciated.” Violet thanked them before giving them each a hug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No problem, anything for you and Mr. Sebastian.” They mirrored as they finished getting redressed and packed their things up and left before Violet went over to Phillip who had finally fallen asleep before she went through untying him. Grateful she knew all these different knots and how to untie them before Veronica came back and was directing the body guards to pick up the other two girls and take them and their things to another room in the hotel just as Buddy was getting back and got to see the two girls being carried out as Phillip was moved to the couch just as housekeeping was coming to the clean and scrub the room of all the evidence as Violet put her device back and gathering the chord they used to tie them all up and threw it away with gloves as she paused when she saw Buddy looking into the room curiously as she came over to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What happened in here?” Buddy murmured quietly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Both nothing yet, way too much, I’ll tell you when we get back to SEB, get to bed before anyone sees you snooping.” Violet urged him and once housekeeping was done, she uncloaked her super suit from under her clothes and pulled off a special device that looked like a small spider and put it on Phillip’s chest and pressed to turn it on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Scrub Phillip.” She ordered before it seemed to multiply as the nano technology began to clean Phillip from any contamination on the molecular level other than his own biome which had already been programed into it as they all roamed his body as Violet just shook her head as she got ready for bed herself and once it had finished, it chirped at her as it reorganized itself into it’s previous spider shape as she came and got it and put it back into her suit before Phillip’s body guards picked Phillip up and put him into bed before Violet tucked him in and bid everyone a good night before she put another special sensor on Phillip to make sure he didn’t die in the night before she retreated to the second bedroom in the room and went to bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet found herself on a beach, in a cabana, it felt Mediterranean to her before Buddy came into the cabana wearing just a pair of swim trunks carrying two drinks and passed one to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw, thank you Mr. Pine.” Violet found herself saying as she eagerly took it from him. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“You’re welcome Mrs. Pine.” Buddy grinned before he kissed her sweetly and then settled in next to her on the daybed on the other side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What I miss?” Buddy asked. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Nothing much, did you see the news?” Violet asked as she showed him her phone before Buddy whistled lowly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yikes, wouldn’t want to be that guy.” Buddy appraised before he handed it back to her as Violet refocused on her phone to see a picture of Phillip and some blonde girl. It was a paparazzi picture of the two of them trying to get to their sports car as it was reported about a scandal and possible rumors of a divorce. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just think Honey, that could have been you.” Buddy teased her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Could have. Grateful it isn’t. Much happier right where I am and who I’m with.” Violet cooed as she cuddled into his side, happy to use his arm as her pillow before Buddy used the condensation from his drink to boop her nose, getting the tip of her nose wet which got them to giggle as Violet wiped it off on his chest before they settled back in as Buddy simply stroked her arm with his fingertips, savoring the silky softness of her bare skin as they simply laid there and relaxed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then the dream morphed and they were in bed and wrapped up in blankets and each other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Easy, easy, sunburn babe.” Buddy reminded her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry.” Violet answered as she let up from clawing his back with her fingertips as he was already seated as far into her as he could get before he started up again and while Violet had had sex more times than she could count, this sex felt so much more sacred because it was heartfelt and created out of love instead of lust or boredom or anything like that. Just two in love people making love. And that’s all either of them could ask for. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Prophetic dream sequence? Check. Sexual tension? Check. Love triangle? Check. Mutual pining? Getting there. But also check. Enemies to friends? Check. Friends to lovers? Getting there. SO MANY CLICHE'S? Yes. Can anyone stop me? No. Mwahahaha.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Creepy Crawly Spiders</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Violet finally finds a way to tell Phillip about her setting being too tight. By using a metaphor.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chapter 7</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet woke up actually feeling happy as the imagery of her dream washed over her conscious memory which brought a small smile to her face. But then she heard a groan from Phillip and her smile vanished as she felt anger and rage start to build. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She got out of bed and went over to Phillip to see him stirring awake before she took the monitor off of him and put it back where it belonged before she came back and sat on the bed next to him as he went through is process of regaining consciousness before she called for room service for breakfast for herself and her team and knew that dealing with Phillip this morning would be especially bad as she weighed whether or not to wage war with him now or later as she decided that later would probably be best, when he wouldn’t be suffering through withdrawals again because Phillip had quite the history with cocaine especially and it had taken him getting clean as one of her terms for accepting to work for him. Because the chances of him relapsing had been so low and now they were especially high. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>27 minutes.</em> </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had done this in 27 minutes. After a year of keeping clean and all those promises of staying that way. All gone. In 27 minutes. That were sadly, the best 27 minutes of this whole trip for her. But it taught her to never let her guard down. And to not trust Phillip as far as she could kick him as she once again, made up her mind that she was never going to enjoy a romantic relationship with him. Never ever. And it was because of this shit right here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Phillip cracked an eye open to see her sitting up in bed, her face was twisted into one of angry disgust but determination as his own memory of last night’s events before his all too brief high came back to him and he exhaled loudly with a wince before Violet turned and considered him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning Mr. Sebastian.” Violet greeted coldly with a look that would freeze lava.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, on a scale of 1 being a funny haha ‘we’re gonna look back on this and laugh’ and ten being you’re gonna kill me and collect my inheritance, where are we?” Phillip asked with a grimace as he got up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh a solid 8.5.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck.” Phillip grunted before he sat up in bed and rested his back on the headboard next to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you order breakfast yet? Can I at least get some coffee before you hand me my ass?” Phillip asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not going to hand you your ass Mr. Sebastian. It’s not my place as your handler to do such things. Now when you fully wake up and recover, I will recount last night’s events to you and explain to you exactly all the ways they crossed all the lines of propriety and decorum and then I’m going to absolutely insist that- that stunt you pulled last night was your big test. That Mr. Pine passed with flying colors and any further “testing” by you will result in my immediate termination of employment.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. Please Violet. No. I’m sorry. Ok? I’m sorry, it was just a bad cheap joke. I will take whatever you want to throw at me if it’ll mean you don’t go back to pure asset and handler again. It can’t be that bad. Please. I will get down on my hands and knees and beg if I have to.” Phillip pleaded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No such measures will be taken. They are not acceptable terms.” Violet insisted before she heard the knock at the door and went and got it and brought in the breakfast cart and brought it over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What would you like for breakfast Mr. Sebastian?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nooo...come on Violet. Just...come on, hit me with all of it, take it out on me. Look I admit, this was on me. I’m sorry. I know I broke my promise to you and I will make it up to you.” Phillip pleaded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, last night was on me. I take full responsibility for the incident. Technically I should fire myself for the lapse in judgement. I’m just happy I won enough last night in the casino to pay for it in cash so I didn’t have to have any other evidence of last night, other than my memory and the cocaine in your body.” Violet answered as she fixed him a plate and handed it to him on a tray in his lap. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, what I need from you is confirmation that no other tests will be administered on Mr. Pine and that you will honor my agreement as set forth in the recording.” Violet offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course. But Violet please, please tell me how to make this right.” Phillip begged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Sebastian, words can not fully describe the </span>
  <em>
    <span>mortification</span>
  </em>
  <span> I felt at seeing my own knock off image in the form of a prostitute and then to have said prostitute offered up to Mr. Pine on a silver platter was pure entrapment and you know it. But if that wasn’t enough, I also had to see the same thing in the form of my most cherished mentor. That completely humiliated me in addition to Mr. Pine. But for now, let’s leave him out of it. Let’s keep this with me. I wasn’t by your side for a whole <em>27 minutes</em>. I had just enough time to go to the bar on the roof and get a drink and then I had to come right back down. I had Veronica inject you with Narcan. I had to scrub not only the room and you but I had to scrub the last 24 hours from two prostitutes to bury the evidence. Thankfully Patrice and Julie are trusted and vetted and were happy to just get paid off. They had to tie you to the bed to keep you from taking your own life again because you were convinced you were a Super yourself and could fly. You tried jumping off the balcony and those two “gifts” that you got Mr. Pine, tried to help you do it too. They also had to be forcibly restrained while getting scrubbed. Your stunt to catch Mr. Pine in a compromising situation, ended up <em>compromising </em></span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> and it blew up in my face and it illustrated beyond the shadow of a doubt that I have become way too lax in my job because you were in so much danger. And I broke my own promise to protect you and keep you out of harm’s way. And for that I’m sorry.” Violet specified, trying to keep her rage in check but her sadness was so palpable that Phillip felt remorse that it effectively backfired in spectacular fashion before she sat down in a nearby chair and got her own breakfast before Phillip’s security came and got the rest and took it out into the rest of the suite so Violet and Phillip could keep their privacy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So now I want to know why you did it. What were your reasons for it?” Violet pressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just...I wanted you to lose respect for him. I thought he would jump at the chance to relieve any frustrations he may have been having and if I can get him to relapse, he would be breaking his own contract trying to get drugs into SEB. And I wanted to see if he still harbored feelings for Natalia or had developed any for you.” Phillip confessed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it backfired, spectacularly. Because the only one who lost respect is you- from me. Second, you’re the one who ended up relapsing. And you’re the one who broke your own contract with me about remaining clean, which technically, means I can now walk away from you and it turns our contract null and void and we are in Vegas at a tech expo, I could, in theory go to any number of your competitors and get the same job I have for them and there would be nothing you could do about it. And if anything this proved you wrong in every aspect you were trying to test. Because Mr. Pine reacted flawlessly. He stopped, he relied on his own security team which they are all thanking their lucky stars that they weren’t involved and he politely but firmly refused the gift and I should have sent that gift packing and been done with it. But instead, I was feeling spiteful because you were sulking and pouting like a toddler for whatever reasons you have for doing so- which pissed me off but it’s my job as your handler to coddle you and cater to you despite however I feel about it. And I let my own personal feelings cloud my judgement. And you know me, I rarely let myself repeat the same mistake twice. So, how you can make up for this- is you are going to honor our agreement we made just as we were leaving, and agree that the stunt last night was your big perfect test for him and admit that he passed and then you are never going to test him again because guess what, I got him to admit it to my face that he looks at me as Mirage 2.0 which means that Objective Natalia has been a success and you’re going to approve weekly outings for him. And then what you’re going to do to make it up to me- is you are going to take the noncompete out of my contract and then you’re going to have to earn my trust and respect back piece by piece and inch by inch to get us back to where we were before this fiasco because while I want to write this off as a dirty trick gone wrong. My hurt and my mortification sting way too badly right now and my own ability to trust you took a big hit because I couldn’t trust you to honor your promise to me to never do drugs again because all it took was 27 minutes. In 27 minutes you have undone a year’s worth of trust building Phillip and I don’t know how long it will take you to earn it back because you know I'm a once bitten twice shy kind of person and I sincerely doubt it was worth it because the Narcan should have reversed it into your system. And my guard is back up and it’s going to take a lot from you to get it to come back down for you.” Violet decided and the more she talked, the more her anger dissipated but she still knew that Phillip was using his powers to ease the anger and the rage to push her to forgive him, and for that, her own resentment towards him just grew because the more he used his “secret” powers and the longer it took for him to admit it. The more she distrusted him as Violet and it just pushed her to stay in “Invisigirl” mode with him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s fair, I’m so sorry Violet. I never considered how this could backfire and I never would have done it if I thought, much less knew this would come back to you in any way. And I’m sorry and again, this is on me, I take full responsibility for this and please don’t let this become the thing that breaks us and losing your trust and your respect is worse than breaking any contract and if there’s anything else I can do to make it up to you, just say the word.” Phillip apologized. Which Violet appreciated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God damn it.” Violet huffed as she got up went over to the bed and got settled in next to him and figured she could give him an out to confess to more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why is it almost impossible for me to stay mad at you?” Violet questioned which got Phillip to smile in relief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, but I’m grateful for whatever it is.” Phillip assured her as he carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulders but grinned when she snuggled into his side as Violet could only feel disappointment that even though he didn’t have anything else to lose, he still wouldn’t admit the truth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what’s the number now?” Phillip bravely inquired. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A five.” Violet honestly answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, well let me know what I can do to lesson it to a one or two.”  Phillip answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will do Phillip.” Violet answered which got him to grin because she was calling him by his name again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet didn’t have to wait for long. Because once they got dressed and ready for the day and met back up at the Expo, Buddy called out to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ms. Parr?” Buddy called when she passed him as he walked away from his friends to talk with her one on one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes Mr. Pine?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey so my friends would really like to come and pay me a social visit at SEB, is there any way we could try to work something out?” Buddy asked hopefully, even though he had prepared himself for her to say no but Violet just smiled happily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course Mr. Pine, I’ll handle it personally, granted there will be some protocols that would need to be followed by you and your guests but yes, that can be arranged, simply give me the times and dates according to your knowledge and I’ll arrange it.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? Why?” Buddy asked before Violet stepped closer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To help you forget that the incident last night never occurred and if it would help everyone save face.” Violet answered. “You haven’t said anything to anyone about it have you?” Violet asked worriedly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh God no. No. No. Never, I’ll happily take that to my grave.” Buddy promised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then we have a deal.” Violet offered her hand for him to shake before he took and shook it firmly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See you at the announcement Mr. Pine.” Violet offered sweetly before she excused herself and went back to Phillip’s side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I found a way to make the situation last night right and a way that everyone can save face.” Violet murmured quietly to Phillip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m all ears.” Phillip eagerly answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In exchange for Mr. Pine to completely forget about the incident last night and take what could possibly remain to his grave, which was my condition for his request after hearing it because Mr. Pine would never blackmail you because blackmailing you means blackmailing me and he could never bring himself to do that because of 2.0, but if we fulfill this request- we’re back where we were before we left to come here.” Violet began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s the request?” Phillip asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Pine would like his friends to come and visit him socially, I warned him that there would be protocols that they would all have to adhere to, like no discussing business or revealing any confidential, proprietary information or property or projects, that kind of thing. And that they would have to be vetted and submit to safety measures.” Violet dictated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that would bring my five to a one. If you’d agree to it.” Violet added as extra incentive. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Done deal.” Phillip happily agreed, grateful it wasn’t any more worse than it was and if that’s all it would take to get them back to where they were before they left, he’d happily agree.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And if it would take that one to a zero, I’d be willing to make it a regular thing.” Phillip offered. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Deal and done Phillip.” Violet cooed before Phillip snuck a quick kiss to her temple which got her to blush and smile bashfully and crinkle her nose at him for the PDA since they were surrounded by people but Phillip just beamed a cheesy smile of his own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The announcement of the collaboration was received well and true to Violet’s predictions and intentions it garnered a lot of positive press for both of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Sebastian, care to comment about the recent photos that came out showing you in a private moment in the hotel’s swimming pool with a close colleague, is there a romance blossoming between you? Is this the rumored girlfriend that we have seen by your side repeatedly for the last year?” A reporter asked before Violet did a quick search as she stood behind the scenes and found the pictures in a tabloid and sent them to Phillip’s own tablet in front of him that had all the press release announcements and talking points on it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. As always, my personal life is personal and no business of yours or anyone else and I will not be taking any more questions on the topic.” Phillip said simply as Buddy looked up the pictures on his own tablet quickly and found them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Pine? Do you have any comment on…?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No I do not. And I would also appreciate it if this conference could get back on track.” Buddy insisted before he steered the conversation back to the technology and why they were there which Violet was grateful for.   </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the expo was over and they had gotten back, he was grateful Violet stayed and helped him settle back in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How often does that happen?” Buddy asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How often does what happen?” Violet asked as she hung up his suits in his walk in closet for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How often does your relationship with Phillip get questioned by the media?” Buddy specified. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Every single time he speaks to the press.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t Phillip care that every time the media gets your picture and knows your name because you are working for him under your name and not a pseudonym that- that puts you at risk of being found out?” Buddy questioned, feeling a surge of protectiveness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was part of the contract that I work for him under my own name. Because he wanted to make sure that he was getting the real deal and the genuine article and "all of me" and 100% transparency and if anything ever happened to him, that I wouldn’t have any confusion trying collect payments as someone other than myself and my family because I’m actually in his will. Which works out, because it does make things a whole lot more simpler in real life instead of having to answer by a different name and identity. All I have to watch out for is not using my powers in front of people who don’t already know the truth but among Phillip’s closest friends, they all know who I am and who I really am and they know that I’m his own private personal Super who's on constant retainer and if they cross him, they deal with me which is all the deterrent I need to be for most of them and I’m not the only one in my position, more and more of rich and famous have learned that they can just rent or buy their own Super, either on their own, which makes finding them in the first place difficult. Or they just go to the source- aka <em>The Agency</em> and get one from there because more and more The Agency has turned into "<em>Rent-A-Center for Supers</em>". And as long as </span>
  <em>
    <span>Invisigirl </span>
  </em>
  <span>isn’t caught with Phillip in any compromising situations, because all Invisigirl is- is a ghost anymore, and all anyone has ever seen of me as her is when I was a teenager in my old suit and not in my current super suit or any other super suit I've had since then, and I've had a lot of them. How you recognized me in my new suit, was a surprise, but one that I appreciate that you keep to yourself and don’t breathe a word to anyone, which is a protection in of itself. Most people just think I’m some other Super when and if they ever see me as her anymore, like Black Widow or Shadow or DejaVu or Mirror or any number of them, but those are usually the most popular.  So, yes it’s a risk, but it’s also a hassle I don’t have to add to my already full plate. Besides, in two years, it won’t matter. And every rumor that springs up, only keeps Phillip in the spotlight that much longer, which is something I think he would die if he had to go without.” Violet appraised as she just continued to put his things away, neatly and orderly as Buddy just helped her, handing her his things and watching in awed adoration how wonderful it was to see her be so down to earth and domestic, being barefoot in his closet since her heels had been kicked off by the door and had him hoping and praying that while they were both at SEB that that wasn’t the only time he would ever enjoy this as the emerald necklace he had managed to get for her practically burned a hole in his pocket. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nelson had gotten it for him because out of all the people that were on Buddy’s team, Buddy and Nelson got along the most and Nelson was secretly shipping his </span>
  <span>boss with Buddy because he had noticed the marked change in Violet whenever she was on “Buddy duty” and he liked how nice and sweet she was whenever she got to spend time with Buddy and it was Nelson who secretly suggested to Buddy to get her an emerald necklace after what had happened at the black jack table and Buddy had simply given Nelson the vast majority of his winnings to buy what Nelson would think she would like since Nelson knew Violet better than Buddy did and what Nelson had come back with- made Buddy so happy. It was on the small side, so it wasn’t gaudy or too flashy for Violet’s tastes, something she could wear everyday and feel special in without drawing too much attention by anyone but the very observant.    </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually, with how little I get to see my parents now, even though we all live right here in Metroville and they only live across town, they usually use the tabloids to figure out where I am and what I’m up to.” Violet confessed as she was done and knew that if she spent any more time in Buddy’s closet, she was going to reorganize it to keep her hands busy so her mouth could run and she needed to stop talking before she let out any more secrets or possibly tell on herself even more and risk ruining the friendship she was enjoying with Buddy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really are just an emerald, in too tight of a setting huh?” Buddy asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, part of me wants to buy a loose emerald and keep it in my pocket and I can just pull it out and threaten to drop it to illustrate how close he is to destroying the one thing he “claims” is most important to him. But he just doesn’t...he doesn’t care enough to loosen the setting or back off enough to just give me breathing room. Where I don’t have to constantly filter everything I say or do because there’s always eyes and ears wherever I go.” Violet answered as she took up leaning against the opposite side of the door frame from his bedroom to his closet as once again, their body language mirrored each other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it worth it though?” Buddy asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It has to be doesn’t it?” Violet returned but she didn't sound convinced. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think it is. You shouldn’t put a price, even as one as high as the one you’ve named, on your sanity or integrity, because if you break, the world will lose one of the greatest gems it has and we’ll all be helpless in mourning it’s loss and if you ever find yourself teetering on the precipice, shatter this before you let yourself be shattered.” Buddy offered before he handed her the box which got Violet to frown in confusion at it before she took it and considered it thoughtfully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet opened it and fought not to cry. It was such a small, simple but elegant and beautifully crafted necklace that was Edwardian in design. It was perfect. And the meaning behind it made it even that much more precious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you Buddy.” Violet thanked him as she easily enveloped him in a tight hug that Buddy was all too happy to return and they just spent a blissfully long moment hugging each other and clinging to each other and Buddy didn’t let go until Violet did. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, I needed the reminder. And the hug.” Violet confessed as she tried to blink away the glassiness in her eyes and it was Buddy who gave her a small, sad smile. Saying so much without needing to say anything and for that she was eternally grateful and Violet looked at him and realized that if she stayed another minute, she was liable to show him and tell him everything and she couldn’t let herself be that vulnerable, not yet anyway, and not when there were so many eyes and ears watching and listening. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should go, I have myself to unpack. Let me know when your friends want to come, and I’ll do what I can to make them feel welcome.” Violet offered before she excused herself from his bedroom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good night Buddy, get some rest, you’ve earned it.” Violet offered over her shoulder as she did as Buddy followed her out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You too Violet.” Buddy mirrored. Damning himself for not being brave enough to say more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet went straight to her car and drove home, the small box tightly in her fist as she wondered how he had managed to get this. Because Veronica hadn’t said anything about this, nothing about visiting a jewelry store or even a pawn shop when she had sent in her report on the flight home as part of her debriefing. She wondered if perhaps one of Buddy’s security detail had done this as she mentally tried to figure out who it was before the memory of Violet getting flustered by staring at Buddy chest and arms came to mind and how Nelson had reacted to her reaction. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Good on Nelson. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once Violet got home she went and got into her spy gear and put the box into a compartment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Scan and report.” Violet demanded as she sat and waited for the box and it’s contents to be scanned and prayed that it wouldn’t find anything bad, like some malware or any kind of tracker that she couldn't detect herself and anxiously waited as she put her other things away before the device chirped at her and she smiled in relief when the only objects of the jewelry box, was a necklace, made out of diamonds, emeralds and platinum inside a cardboard and velvet box. That was it. Then she took it out and happily put it on herself and looked in the mirror and couldn’t stop smiling. She could wear this every day and be perfectly happy and feel special. It was such a small but powerful thing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Phillip had watched the feed and frowned before he realized he needed to one up this gesture before he called the best jewelry store in town and had them open back up just for him so he could get the perfect set of emerald jewelry for Violet and then once he had made his purchase he then went back to SEB to get it “finished”.     </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Monday morning Violet put together her most flattering green outfit to match her new necklace and even did her hair in luscious curls again and did her makeup extra beautifully and practically strut into work. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning Phillip, hope you slept well, what do we have for Mr. Pine this morning?” Violet asked as she came into his office. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, nothing new, hey I got you something,” Phillip said as he presented her with a hard leather jewelry set case before Violet paused and looked at it and looked at him before her shoulders dropped and fixed him with a look. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? You just up and decided to get me jewelry? Out of the blue?” Violet questioned wearily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, no not out of the blue. Look, what the psychic said struck a chord with me and I knew I couldn’t get you anything while we were out in Vegas because I wanted it to be a surprise so I waited until we came back and got it for you last night, it’s my way of making up for what I did to you over the weekend.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip, jewelry is not gonna fix…oh my God!” Violet exclaimed when he opened it and Violet’s jaw and heart both dropped as she set both hands on his desk on either side of it and stared in disbelief at it. It couldn’t be real. Before she started to touch it but her own sensitive senses were telling her this was crawling with "bugs" and she subconsciously pulled her hand back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh I beg to differ.” Phillip smugly countered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you’re already wearing the perfect outfit.” Phillip cooed as he came around to take the other necklace off but Violet side stepped him and out of reach. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip? How much did you spend on this?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter, as long as you love it, that’s all that matters.” Phillip insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, no. Phillip, is this real?” Violet pressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah it’s a real necklace and bracelet and ring and earrings and everything.” Phillip confirmed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, like, genuine, this isn’t costume jewelry or…” Violet began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no, it’s the genuine article.” Phillip assured her before he pulled out the jewels from the case and showed her the providence letter under them in the case and Violet gasped when she saw the price and saw that it was down in writing that it belonged to her.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip, no, no I can’t accept this.” Violet tried to argue. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I thought you liked it?” Phillip questioned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I do, I love it, it’s beautiful, it is single handedly the most amazing jewelry I’ve ever seen in my life and I’m so profoundly flattered and honored but Phil, I need like six bodyguards if I’m going to wear it in public, this is- 'wear this with a gown on the red carpet or attend a gala' kind of necklace and otherwise keep it locked up in a safe to keep it from being stolen kind of necklace. It’s too much, I’m overwhelmed.” Violet tried to explain as she felt panic grip her chest and her stomach churn. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no, Sweetheart, no, don’t be overwhelmed. You are the most precious, most amazing jewel in the universe and I wanted to make sure you knew that and I wanted to make sure you felt it in every fiber of your being. You’re practically a goddess, and this is my offering of worship.” Phillip cooed as he came around and hugged her from behind and Violet felt his powers push her anxiety down and pumped euphoria into her and she couldn’t help it she wracked a sob which alarmed Phillip who came around and hugged her from the front as he did all he could to calm her down and soothe her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry it’s overwhelming. I'm not trying to force you to take it. If it’s too much too fast, and I’m coming on too strong just tell me.” Phillip realized. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip, it’s too much too fast and you’re coming on too strong. I’m flattered and honored, I really am but come on. I know you’re just making the biggest, and probably the most romantic gesture you can but you know how </span>
  <em>
    <span>practical</span>
  </em>
  <span> I am and you already know if it's romantic- that that puts us into too dangerous of territory. Take it back, get your money back. And if you still want to get me something emerald or whatever and something nice. Take what I’m currently wearing as your cue of the size and grandeur that I’m comfortable with. Something smaller, a bit more discrete. Something that I will feel comfortable wearing on special occasions or even every day or just on the days I want to feel extra special. OK? Can we compromise on this? Please? Or you can start off small and work your way up, like a good anal plug set.” Violet tried to tease through the last of her tears which got Phillip to chuckle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, I got you. Loud and clear, let me go and try again.” Phillip offered.     </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, but before you go, let me at least get a picture of it, like a keepsake.” Violet offered before she got a picture of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, now I gotta go back to my office and straighten up and Mr. Pine is probably wondering how late I slept in this morning.” Violet urged as she gave him a sweet kiss then took her tablet and went to her office and got her emergency makeup set out and went to her private bathroom and got straightened up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck are you doing Violet, you should have taken the jewels. Should have taken them and graciously accepted them. They were perfect and gorgeous and amazing, but no- your humility and self worth issues strike again to ruin all your good things.”  Violet muttered to herself as she got her things and went down to Buddy’s floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning Mr. Pine, I apologize for the delay, Mr. Sebastian had an unexpected...uh...development.” Violet tried to excuse herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything ok?” Buddy asked as he looked her over carefully because he could sense something was seriously wrong and off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you been crying?” Buddy breathed in a whisper and Violet could only nod as tears came flooding back to her eyes as the panic came back with a vengeance because Phillip's powers weren't there to suppress it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excuse me, I need to use your restroom.” She excused herself as she dumped her things on his counter and quickly ran as fast as her pencil skirt would allow and went into his lab’s bathroom where she knew there was no cameras or listening devices and broke down again, sitting on the toilet seat cover and just wracked sob after sob as Buddy could only pace outside the bathroom because to see her upset was upsetting him and hearing her cry was torturing him worse than anything. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet, please, please let me in, can you tell me what’s wrong?” Buddy pleaded through the door as he pressed his forehead to the door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s open.” Violet managed to say before Buddy slipped in and saw her sitting on the toilet, her makeup a mess and shaking and he was on his knees in front of her in an instant and curling as much of himself around her in a subconscious effort to protect her and shield her and comfort her as his hands rand down from her arms to her hands before she held onto both of his hands with both of hers so, so tight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet, what happened?” Buddy pressed, getting choked up and emotional himself as he started crying watching her cry because this was hurting him way worse than that jet turbine ever could.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t take much more of this.” Violet confessed before she, out of habit, put up a forcefield around them because if she didn’t tell him, tell someone safe, since he was the only safe person she had left, she was going to die. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You gave me this beautiful, amazing, sentimental gift which I love and appreciate <em>so much</em> and I’m so flattered and honored that you would go through so much trouble that even when you’re locked up in here and there’s so many layers of security between you and the outside world and you go through all that trouble of smuggling it in here just to get it to me. And it <em>means so much to me</em>. And Phillip had the </span>
  <em>
    <span>audacity</span>
  </em>
  <span> to try and one up it, and he did so in about 12 hours. I came into work early, I tried to color coordinate with the necklace because I wanted you to see me in it and see that I appreciated it. And what did he do? He gifted me a </span>
  <em>
    <span>35 million dollar emerald jewelry set.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The only thing this didn’t have was a fucking tiara, it had this huge gaudy necklace that would break my collar bones if I tried to put it on with emeralds as big as my eyeballs and diamonds even bigger than that and earrings that would pull my ears off my head and a ring that I would drown me if I tried to go swimming wearing it and a bracelet that would yank my arm out of my shoulder socket. And it was <em>too much</em>. It was so overwhelming and when I tried to refuse, he used his powers to push me to accept it and force euphoria into my head and push my feelings of discomfort out with it and he went on and on about how 'I’m this amazing jewel of the universe and how I’m a goddess and it was a gift of worship' and it was too much. He’s never forced his powers on me that strongly before and I panicked. And it took so much begging and pleading just for him to see that I would never feel comfortable ever wearing it without a full security detail of my own- for him to back off. And I just said everything and anything I could to get myself out of there and thank God I could come and see you. Part of me wants to move in here with you and only want to see Phillip twice a day or twice a year or twice a decade for that matter instead of the other way around. And now he’s on his way back to the jewelry store to get me something smaller and the worst part is, is because of my powers that I'm so incredibly sensitive to technology and anything and everything that runs on electricity or any kind of current and signals, even the human body or animals, I'm even sensitive to electromagnetism, I can tell when there’s cameras and listening devices especially. And that jewelry was practically </span>
  <em>
    <span>crawling</span>
  </em>
  <span> with them, and it feels like it's spiders, <em>creepy crawly spiders</em>, just crawling and <em>infested</em> with spiders and it made my skin crawl, they were embedded under every single big jewel into its socket so that whenever I wore it, wore all of it or just a piece of any of it- it would be just another tracking device, another way to keep me under the microscope. And I hate it and I hate how it’s like he plays dumb. It’s like he has <em>no idea</em> that I know. And I can’t confront him. I could and would lose my job and my head because every other Super who’s had this job, it was all the surveillance and counter-surveillance that pushed them to quit because they couldn’t take it. That’s the setting that’s too tight. Knowing that every single moment of every single day I'm being watched and recorded and anything and everything I say or do can and will be used against me, like I'm constantly under a superpowered microscope and constantly scrutinized and judged and it's like it's suffocating me and smothering me and I can't breathe. And if Phillip actually, honestly cared about me and loved me as much as he claims, wouldn’t he be honest about all of it? Wouldn’t he back off? Wouldn’t he admit to me and go ‘hey, I’m actually a Super like you and these are my powers’ and I have given him <em>countless</em> opportunities to come clean, to tell me, make him feel like he has nothing to lose and everything to gain by telling me and if he were to actually ask me if I want them used on me instead of being forced onto me. It would make all the difference in the world. Especially since they’re mind control and feeling control, it’s so invasive and it undoes me from the inside out.” Violet shuddered as Buddy felt like his heart just got ripped out of his chest and put back into a blender. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He would, if he really wanted to love you, he would.” Buddy confirmed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “And the sad part is, sometimes I like it, and am so grateful for it, like when I’m having panic attacks and breakdowns like I’m having right now, it’s nice to get extra help to calm down or when we’re having sex and he’s closer than I am but he want’s to be gentleman so he pushes me and gets in my head and gives me that extra push to get me to the finish line. But when it’s against my will and against my own genuine feelings, it's different. When I’m mad at him for fucking up or pissing me off by playing head games, he forces me to get over it and forgive him and get over it or he uses my strong emotions and flips them like a light switch so one minute I’m so mad at him I want to push him off this building and he flips it in a snap and suddenly I’m having the hottest sex of my life fucking his brains into oblivion while he does the same for me, like break up sex and makeup sex all rolled into one. And it feels </span>
  <em>
    <span>awesome</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the moment, like I’m having sex with God, like I’m perfectly high and relaxed and so into it and so far into the zone, it’s a different time zone, not even the same continent and it’s just <em>pure bliss</em> and then I get far enough away from him where his powers can’t reach me, then my real feelings come back and they come back with a vengeance and it's even worse after than it was before and I regret all of it and I feel sick and dirty and no better than a prostitute only it's not just my body that's being bought, it's my mind and soul too. And when he does drugs, it amplifies it and make it almost impossible to resist, even as a super and normal humans don't stand a chance. That’s why I had to scrub those hookers in Vegas, because they gave him coke and MDMA and he was <em>so strong</em>, one of them was practically a mindless drone. It’s why him doing drugs is one of my deal breakers because even I and the strongest Supers I know can’t resist him when he’s on them. No one can.” Violet choked out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because he’s…!” Buddy began, before he growled dangerously because he wanted to scream but he couldn’t freak her out or scare her any more than she already was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet, he is</span>
  <em>
    <span> raping you!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Every time he pushes it and you don’t want it- that’s literally the definition of rape Violet. It doesn’t matter how awesome the sex is, if it’s unwanted, it’s rape. Period. It’s not sex any more because if he didn’t have his powers, you’d be able to resist him and kick his ass so hard, you’d break his fucking pelvis in. Like this is Jessica Jones and Purple Man level of fucked up shit.” Buddy pointed out doing his best to keep his voice down, even as hard as it was not to holler and scream all this at the top of his lungs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. But there’s nothing else I can do. And after, I just throw up, I throw up so much because I’m so sick of myself and that’s the only way I can look this good and still eat the way I do which is just one step away from an eating disorder. And I hate myself so much for it. And then when he gets me lavish gifts it’s like he’s buying me and buying my forgiveness with stuff, it’s expensive stuff but it just makes me feel so cheap. And no matter how much I try to explain it away and reason it away, it’s like dealing with an alcoholic, until they admit that they have a problem, they’re never going to see it. And I’ve been doing everything in my power to save all of this for my last day of work two years from now and hand him his ass in all the ways I want to and have been fantasizing about. And it’s like he’s trying so hard to turn me into a gold digging, materialistic, manipulative, dominatrix queen, and I hate it. Not to knock BDSM, there’s nothing wrong with it when it’s done safely, consensually and willingly by everyone involved but it’s just not for Violet. Invisigirl can do it all, no problem but Violet is very vanilla. But he’s my asset and I have to coddle and cater to him and do whatever it takes to get the job done, those are my unquestioning and unwavering orders. And I can’t find a replacement to save my life. Literally. And I’m stuck. I’m stuck in a setting that’s too tight and it's trying to carve itself into me, chipping away at me until I fit right.” Violet confided between hard sobs and Buddy never saw more red in his life. He wanted nothing more than to destroy Phillip. He wanted to blow up this building. He wanted Phillip’s head on a platter and then flamayed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And all Buddy could do was cry while holding onto her hands as he knelt in front of her and tried to protectively curl his body around hers as much as he could and he felt so...<em>helpless</em>. He hated it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet you have to get away from this. You have to get out. Fuck contracts, fuck the money, you can have every red cent I have. I will find a way to get you wherever you want or need to go. You need to save yourself. Stop trying to save everyone, especially me when it’s you who needs the most saving. Alright, look, I’ll come clean. Cause keeping this from you has been killing me, and I’m so sorry but I’ve been having secret correspondence through my shipping labels sending coded messages to IRize and Zone and all my other companies because I’ve been trying to get all your medical data out of here and safe so that even if Phillip were to try to hold your meds over you to keep you with him, you would have another source, a safe and secure one and one that wouldn’t come with terms and conditions or strings of any kind. And the reason I was so nervous before I left was because my companies all offered to spring me free while we were in Vegas and I told them repeatedly not to, not until I could get you and your meds and everything pertaining to you- safe and secured. And I know I lied to you on Friday and I felt awful and I was so relieved when it was just the hookers at the room because I genuinely thought I would get to my room and find my own guys there to overtake the security and get me away. But I couldn’t do that to you because your trust and your friendship and these precious two months being with you mean more to me than my own freedom. I will stay here as long as I need to, I’ll stay here five, ten, twenty years if I have to and I’ll kiss the outside world goodbye if it means you can walk away free and<em> live</em> in it and heal from all the hurt that prick has done to you. Get out of here Violet. Go. If I can survive a jet turbine, I can survive anything and everything Phillip wants to throw at me, powers be damned.” Buddy confessed as he squeezed her hands so tight as his tears streamed down his face as Violet just stared in shock at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Break the necklace Violet, break the necklace and throw it in his face, come clean and tell him that you know everything, expose him for what he really is, bring hell to his doorstep, give him the bird right before you vanish so he never can find you again. And I will do everything I can to dismantle his empire brick by brick if I have to if it means that you never have to deal with him ever again. <em>He is abusing you</em>. He’s beating you without ever having to throw a punch and that is the worst kind of abuse there is. Violet please. I can’t take this, it’s a miracle you’re still alive and sane. Violet you are cracking. How many more hits will it be before you shatter?” Buddy pleaded desperately.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't know." Violet confessed as she cried a new wave of tears. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, I’m good at fixing things but even this is beyond me. I will be whatever you need or want me to be. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it. I’ll do anything and everything if it means you’ll be ok. Please, Violet, please, please, please.” Buddy begged before he brought her hands up to his lips and kissed her knuckles, squeezing his eyes so tight and Violet was so moved because it was Buddy who genuinely cared for her. Even when he had so much to lose, he’d give what little he did have up for her and if he was exposing himself like this. He was being as honest and as transparent as he could be and Violet couldn’t be more grateful or more moved. Now that she knew that, she could help hide it even more.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You won’t make it that long. The only reasons I’ve not said anything is because every single person who’s ever confronted him about his powers-<em> is dead</em>. And the reason they’re dead is because he plants something of a computer virus into their heads, into their minds and it drives them insane to the point they commit suicide, sometimes within days, sometimes within hours, sometimes within minutes. <em>Minutes</em>. Buddy, I’m terrified you are going to make it three years and a day. I’m so scared you’re going to leave this place and be within a five hundred foot radius of him so he can plant the bug in you. And then you’re going to go home and kill yourself because he’ll do the same thing to you. I’m afraid I’ll do the same thing because if he can’t have me, no one can because he’s so possessive and jealous and dangerous. He proved it with this necklace thing. You dared to give me anything, the smallest of things. Something tangible and he had to outdo it. And you’re not the only one who’s been in contact with others about this situation. I haven’t quit because as bad as all this abuse is, it’s still not as bad as losing you. I can’t lose you. You’re the one good thing in my life right now. And I don’t want him to use you against yourself by pushing you to take your own life or use you against me or me against you or me against me. Which is why I put a clause that in the event of your death, doesn’t matter how you die, everything you touch, all the royalties go back to your own companies. That’s why I’m pushing you to get your hands on everything you can design wise and putting your name and your mark and your seal on everything I can get my hands on. Yeah, you’ll lose percentages now, but if push comes to shove, at least everyone you employ will be ok and your second empire won’t fall like the first one did. This is why I haven’t had any romantic relationships while I’m here- is because Phillip has already torpedoed every attempt and sabotaged it. And it’s why I’m fighting myself so hard to not get closer to you because I don’t want him to sabotage us. He has me backed into a corner but the thing is, you’re behind me and I’m the only thing between you and him. And I’ll bear this and be your shield till my dying day because it has to stop somewhere. And it stops here, it stops with you and right this second, Jack is working on a way to expose Phillip’s powers and find a way to shield me and shield you from them and I’ll do all I can to at least protect your security guards at least so they don’t turn on you. Jack and Edna have been working on it for a year. All they need is time. Can we please, give them time. They’re so close. Just a little longer. Just endure this with me a little longer.” Violet confessed as she held onto his hands like they were a lifeline. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For me? Can you do that for me?” Violet begged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only for you. But the second it’s ready, we’re out of here.” Buddy insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll spring you myself.” Violet finally smiled as her anxiety finally calmed down and she felt absolution and relief as it subsided as she let go of his hands to reach for the toilet paper to wipe up her streaking makeup before Buddy got up and some paper towels and got them wet with hot water in the sink before he handed them to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Damn it, I really liked the way I did my makeup today too.” Violet tried to laugh as she just used it to wipe off all her makeup. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t need it, you’re beautiful no matter what and you could wear burlap and bring it into fashion, not that you care about that kind of thing.” Buddy assured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks. Jack tells me the same thing every time I see him.” Violet chuckled before she finally finished wiping it all off and throwing the now dirty, cooling paper towels in the trash before she happily pulled Buddy into a tight hug which he was more than ready to return. He had wanted to kiss her. But with the way Phillip used his powers in that aspect of her life, he knew if he tried to push any kind of romantic, intimate gestures now- it would not go over well and she would probably reject them and him. She was too gun-shy. If she wanted to be romantically intimate with him, she’d have to make the first move because he sure as hell wasn’t going to push it. She needed a friend and a confidant right now and that’s what he was going to be. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you so much, please, don’t breathe a word of this to anyone.” Violet pleaded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only until we have an out.” Buddy compromised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Deal.” Violet huffed a laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodness you give the best hugs. I could hug you all day long if you let me.” Violet confessed with a halfhearted giggle as she nuzzled her face into the crux of his neck and shoulder absolutely relishing this because this hug was all she could ask for from a hug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well you know where I am. Come and get one whenever you want.” Buddy offered as he wanted to kiss the crown of her head, but resisted. The poor girl just needed a platonic hug. He could give her that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t offer anything you’re not fully prepared to be taken up on.” Violet playfully warned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I never do.” Buddy reassured her with a wry grin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d have to do it while I’m invisible though. I could give you three taps on the arm in warning before I do.” Violet urged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, about that, uh, because of your similar powers to Tali, she taught me how to find her even when she was invisible, because I can feel just about all the hairs on my body stand on end when you’re close enough to me.” Buddy confessed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh. Interesting. Well, again, three taps and then get to a bathroom because there’s no cameras or listening devices in them but there are some just outside of them. Cause otherwise to see you hug air will be suspicious.” Violet proposed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it.” Buddy readily agreed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And then, slowly but surely, if you could teach me the way you’re encoding the messages, I’ll try to learn it and if you’d be ok with me sending a few of my own so I can get something established with them too, just in case something goes sideways, to make safety nets and contingency plans and I’ll happily show you them so you know what I’m saying and telling them so we can coordinate.” Violet offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, actually, the delivery guy, Jack Reacher- he’s my secret liaison to my other companies.” Buddy confessed with a wince but when Violet giggled he breathed out a breath of relief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hiding in plain sight, I like it. That’ll make it easy, I can claim I need him to deliver stuff and mail stuff through him myself. Whatever I mail, will it still get delivered?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s just the shipping labels that he intercepts but the packages themselves are benign.” Buddy assured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then I need to have some serious and very steady correspondence with The Agency about my replacement and their training then and nothing is more reliable than actual hard copy paper, a proper paper trail.” Violet insisted as she begrudgingly started to let go of him and regain some semblance of personal space. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When my friends come to visit me, would you want to hang out with us?” Buddy asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would I be the only girl with a group of guys?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope, because I’m going to be extending the invitation to their wives and families.” Buddy revealed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then yes, I’d love to come. Can I bring anything?” Violet asked hopefully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just yourself.” Buddy answered with a subtle shake of his head.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wine it is then.” Violet giggled before she let down the forcefield. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for helping me calm down. You really are a big, tall, pine tree that’s a refuge. At least for me.” Violet praised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I’ll happily be that for you for as long as you want me to.” Buddy answered with a fond grin before she took another step and kissed his cheek sweetly that melted Buddy right where he stood. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you. Now, let’s get back to business before Phillip loses his goddamn mind not being able to see me for more than a minute.” Violet urged as she straightened up and left the bathroom before she made a pained sound because all the cameras and listening devices were turned up to the maximum level as she subconsciously held her stomach. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah you ok?” Buddy asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, just a wave of nausea because they’re turned up.” Violet answered as she managed to get to the counter and thankfully once she was able to move forward she could feel them start to turn down again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, so um about your personal social visit, who exactly do you want to come?” Violet began before Buddy gave her the names of all his friends and their wives and their kids names and their phone numbers and email addresses and how to best get a hold of them which Violet dutifully got and notated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“OK, I’ll get started on all of this. See you again this evening Mr. Pine, good luck with your projects.” Violet urged him as she went back to her office to do her makeup for the third time that day as she put in all the information into her computer before Phillip came back into her office. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, you changed your makeup again.” Phillip noticed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I had to.” Violet answered as Phillip simply hummed in pretensive befuddlement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Were you able to watch what happened in Mr. Pine’s lab?” Violet asked after a beat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, did something happen?” Phillip lied which caused Violet to clench her jaw. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, Mr. Pine noticed that I was upset and when he asked me about it, I had a panic attack and ended up locking both of us into his bathroom and he was inside the bubble when I couldn’t help but put it up and it took all of Mr. Pine’s wits to get me calmed down and for me to feel safe enough to let down the forcefield.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What...why? I thought I was able to help with that before you left.” Phillip questioned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You did. But Phillip…” Violet started as she felt tears prick her eyes again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just having a bad day. That’s all there is to it.” Violet insisted as she tried to refocus and keep her emotions in check.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I don’t believe that. Come on Violet, you can tell me.” Phillip pleaded as he pushed his comfort onto her and she immediately bolted to get some space as she clutched her stomach again and figured now was as good as any to use this to her advantage. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip, something is wrong with me. I’m becoming paranoid and suicidal. Like when we were in Vegas and you did that coke and you thought you could fly and those hookers tried to help you- I had to fight so hard not to jump off the balcony myself. I don’t understand it, maybe it’s the pressure or something.” Violet said and saw Phillip’s eyes widen in horror just a little before he tried to school his expression again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I feel like I’m being watched and listened to everywhere I go, even in my own apartment and it’s like I can sense little trackers in all my devices and they make me feel so much dread or listening devices- it’s like they ring in my ears and make me so nauseous. I’ve been trying so hard to keep this to myself because I know it sounds crazy and insane but Phillip, I’ve been battling this ever since I started working with you and it started off small at first, but the more I do this job and the closer I am to you and give into my feelings for you, the worse I feel and the worse it feels, I’m throwing up all the time and I can feel the enamel wear on my teeth and the psychic was right, I’m an emerald in a setting that’s too tight, I’m cracking under the pressure. And something about that jewelry you tried to give me this morning, it felt like it was just crawling in... <em>spiders</em>. It just makes me feel like everything is crawling with spiders and it makes my skin literally crawl like they’re climbing all over me. Like I get it that there’s cameras and listening devices here, for security, they have to be and I’ve gotten used to it, like seeing a spider web in the corner and pretending to ignore it as long as it doesn't come down or get close to you or like putting on an itchy sweater but you endure it because you’re at Grandma’s house but...I feel like I can never get away from them, that they’re all over everything I touch and it’s that- that makes what she said about the setting being too tight make so much sense, but I just couldn’t find the right words to tell you but I’ve been so scared of telling you because I didn’t want you to think you were in danger of a crazy person or doubt me that I couldn’t keep you safe or anything and for some reason when Buddy gave me this necklace, this is the first thing that I’ve been given that is spider free and the longer I wear it, the less the spiders crawl on me and I feel like you’re the center of the spider web for some reason and none of this makes sense but I have no idea how else to explain it. And I feel like if I keep pushing myself to be everything you need to be, I’ll break, I’ll shatter and never get put back together again. And the more I feel it, the more I feel, that even as much as you pay me- </span>
  <em>
    <span>it’s not worth it</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And my gut used to whisper things to me but all it does is scream at me anymore to save myself and just walk away and I just...I want to be in a space that’s spider free. And I want to hit every electronic around me with a hammer to squish the spiders. And I know this is crazy. And I feel like if I just kill myself, the spiders will just eat me and be done with it.” Violet managed to rant as she paced her office on the opposite side of the room as Phillip withdrew all of his powers from her and knew without the shadow of a doubt that this was all because of him. He was the one responsible for cracking her and he had thought he had taken out the suicide seed from her head but apparently not, the seed was sprouting on it's own or enough of it remained to do this to her. And that if he didn’t back off, she really was going to break beyond mending. He needed to fix this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what’s even crazier- is I feel like Mr. Pine is just a big can of Raid. And the more I’m around him and closer to him I am, the farther away the spiders stay. And that’s why I’ve been wanting to do all the outings with him because at least when I’m with him, the spiders stay away. And he even invited me to stay as a friend for his social event and I totally want to but not when his place is crawling with spiders too. Phillip, I know this sounds crazy and if you want to commit me to an asylum, I’ll understand. I mean I’ll break out and disappear forever, but I would understand and forgive you.” Violet said as she let her shoulders drop in defeat and hugged herself as pure panic and a deep dreadful, foreboding fear gripped Phillip’s chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, then. Then you should do just that. I’m so sorry Violet, I’m so sorry, I wish you would have told me sooner. I never wanted…” Phillip began to cry but he did his best to keep his composure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not crazy Violet. You’re just under too much pressure and I’ve put too much stress and pressure on you and I've asked too much of you and I am so, so, so sorry. You poor thing. You make so much sense right now. I get it, ok, um, I’m gonna do all I can to kill the spiders for you. Just...I’m approving everything for you and Mr. Pine, of course you should go, and don’t worry about going as Ms. Parr or Invisigirl. Just go as Violet. Go, have a great time, I’ll have your place searched and scrubbed to make sure it’s spider free or if you still think it has spiders, I’ll get you another apartment that’s spider free. I’ll get you new everything because if you feel it’s all infested with spiders, then they’re beyond saving. You are not crazy. You’re so strong and brave for trying to put up with all this. And while you’re there, I’ll turn off all the cameras and listening devices in the apartment side of the space, just in case that’s what’s giving you spider vibes. Because you deserve to have a nice evening with friends without feeling your skin crawl and get them like a case of wine or whatever as my gift for the occasion and just have a great time. Just keep Wednesday as your <em>Raid day</em>. And you know what, if Mr. Pine will host you or you want to host him and take him out- have the weekends too. have <em>Raid weekends</em>. And go out, like to the museums or whatever. Leave the security detail here. I trust you with Mr. Pine and I trust that if he makes a move, you’ll still do your job. It’s the least I can do.” Phillip generously offered before Violet practically ran into his arms and was so grateful when she felt that he didn’t use his powers at all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you so much Phil, thank you for believing me and doing something about it. You have no idea how much that means to me.” Violet cried in relief into his chest as he held her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course. I’m always going to believe you. I need to protect you as much as you protect me. And if I have to kill a million spiders both real or otherwise, I’ll do it. You are the most important thing and the most precious jewel in the universe and I’m so sorry I couldn’t see that I was the one causing the cracks by putting so much pressure on you and asking too much of you. Thank you so much for telling me and identifying the problem. I’ll help as much as I can.” Phillip vowed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Violet thanked him before kissing him sweetly, wishing she could have kissed Buddy instead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, let me go and call some exterminators and brainstorm to make a trap for any more.” Phillip offered before he left and went to the tech department and turned off all the cameras and listening devices in her apartment and her car and her phone and Violet simply grinned when she could tell they had been turned off as she took a moment to hold her phone between her hands and mentally searched for it and was still able to find it. It was still there, just dormant. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sleeping</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Before she played with it, focused on the device and turned it back on and then back off again and smiled to herself that she was good enough to figure out how to do it and could now do it on demand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile the mole in security sent the message that Violet was aware of the bugs and that Phillip was going to go and exterminate her bug problem and to make sure that the only bugs he would find would be his own and within 30 minutes, Zone’s security team came back to Violet’s place and took out all of the piggy backs and covered up all the evidence that they were ever there to begin with and quickly left again. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Such Pining, so story, much plot. Yes I'm still using that Doge meme. I love it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Raid Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Buddy and Violet have their first Raid Day. And it goes better than they anticipated.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Why So Jaded</p>
<p>Chapter 8</p>
<p>Violet was all too happy to get Buddy out of SEB and even let him drive her car to where they needed to go on her first official "<em>Raid Day"</em>. Where all the "spiders" would be "sleeping" and it would give Buddy and Violet some breathing room.</p>
<p>"Oh my God, may the heavens themselves bless you, I almost forgot how nice it is to drive and not be driven around everywhere." Buddy thanked her gratefully as he drove her very nice SUV around Metroville, surprisingly remembering his way around here as he marveled at how the city had grown and developed since he drove around in it last.</p>
<p>"So are we clear?" Buddy breathed.</p>
<p>"Yes, all the "spiders" are <em>sleeping</em>. They're not gone but they're sleeping. And I've been practicing turning some that Phillip doesn't control and isn't keeping track of off and on again along with every other one I can get my hands on so I can turn them on and off on my own." Violet divulged.</p>
<p>"You do realize that you are officially the coolest person I know right? Like that is mind blowing cool." Buddy told her which got her to giggle as he drove them to their first destination because Buddy had surprised Violet with breakfast.</p>
<p>"Thanks, I try, I just needed to witness them being put to sleep in order to figure out how to do it. Because all I've been able to do before is just know that they're on and where they are. But that's it, I mean there have been a few that I've purposefully overpowered and fried. Like turning a burner on its highest setting. But I hadn't been able to figure out how to turn it down." Violet continued.</p>
<p>"That's a really good metaphor." Buddy realized.</p>
<p>"Thanks." Violet grinned and Buddy looked over to see her hand resting on her arm rest and resisted the urge to just reach over and hold her hand before they went to a butcher shop to get their main course as Buddy was all too happy to give her some pointers and how to pick out a great steak or chop, and then it was onto a Merry Cherry to order a good cake for dessert that Violet would be picking up Saturday morning and then to a big box store to get all kinds of things, from a playpen and toys for the kids to other ingredients and then they stopped for lunch at one of Violet's favorite places to get lunch on her days off when she wasn't in a suit, which was a 'FUBU' Mexican place which she explained was a "For Us, By Us" Mexican place and Buddy was impressed when she spoke flawless Spanish in ordering for them.</p>
<p>"How many languages do you speak?" Buddy asked.</p>
<p>"A lot." Violet answered.</p>
<p>"How many is 'a lot'." Buddy posed curiously.</p>
<p>"Take a guess." Violet prompted.</p>
<p>"Obviously, at least two." Buddy guessed as he dug into the chips and salsa.</p>
<p>"Higher." Violet gestured for him to up his guess as she helped him decimate the delicious chips and salsa because both were super fresh and delicious. </p>
<p>"Five?" Buddy blinked and his eyebrows rose in surprise when she gestured to go higher.</p>
<p>"Ten?" Buddy pressed.</p>
<p>"Close, 12, complete fluent languages."</p>
<p>"What are they? Can you tell me?" Buddy prodded.</p>
<p>"English, Latin- and it's the Latin that made learning Italian and Spanish a breeze but I learned Mexican Spanish first and then Spain Spanish second. Let's see- I know French, Turkish, Arabic, Chinese Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Russian and lastly Portuguese, I know bits and pieces of Swedish, German, Hindi and Greek. So technically more like 16. But I have to because Phillip is a world traveler and businessman and wants to make sure that he understands what everyone around him is saying, because again, <em>paranoid</em>." Violet explained.</p>
<p>"That and I already knew most of those before I ever worked for him because of my <em>other work</em>." Violet shrugged nonchalantly.</p>
<p>"And that's why you're the best at what you do." Buddy realized.</p>
<p>"It's one of the things, yes." Violet agreed before their tacos and other ingredients were brought out.</p>
<p>"Ok, these tacos are already amazing but to make them better, squeeze the lime to cut the fat, a spoonful of rice, a scoop of refried beans, a dash of mole, cover in queso, and just a dab of the green salsa unless you love really spicy then add the red and viola, the perfect taco." Violet urged as she did what she preferred to her own tacos as Buddy copied her pattern as they lifted their tacos and bumped them together.</p>
<p>"Cheers," they both smiled at each other before they each took their first bites before Buddy outright moaned and Violet giggled again and hummed in agreement.</p>
<p>"Oh, oh this is amazing." Buddy praised between mouthfuls.</p>
<p>"Now you see why I like to come here. FUBU anything is always better than the "mainstream" version and these are handmade, hand pressed corn tortillas that were being made as we were ordering and you always double up on the tortillas." Violet appraised.</p>
<p>"How many other little gems like this have you found in the city?" Buddy asked.</p>
<p>"Oh, dozens. Any and every kind of ethnic food you can think of, all of them 'FUBU's' . A year ago, in an effort to get a break from all the spiders, I would take myself out to lunch all on my own, I'd leave all the electronics in the car and park it like down the street and sometimes over a street from where I was really going and take like an hour and a half lunches, trying to find all these little hole in the wall places where there wasn't so many watching eyes and listening ears. And along the way, I found some amazing food and then I never showed any of them to <em>him</em>. Because I didn't want him to invade what little spaces of freedom and breathing room I had found. Not that he would be caught dead in any eatery that didn't have a five star rating and at least one Michelin star." </p>
<p>"So why are you bringing <em>me</em> to a place like this?" Buddy asked.</p>
<p>"Because I have a very good feeling you won't invade them. That you'll appreciate sharing them with me, and if anything happens and I disappear, it'll be one of the few places I'll reappear in." Violet answered softly.</p>
<p>"Well, count me honored and privileged then and if I'm ever in a position that I think I'm being tailed, I won't come anywhere near here or anywhere else you would take me, cause I would hate for an invasion, much less an infestation to take place." Buddy vowed.</p>
<p>"Good." Violet smiled appreciatively.</p>
<p>Once they finished lunch, which ended up taking a few hours because they got lost in conversation, they went to Violet's favorite wine and liquor store that was huge because they had everything under the sun where Buddy felt like a kid in a candy store as Violet showed him all her favorites and made suggestions based on his chosen menu and Buddy noticed that the more the day progressed, the closer to him she came, to the point that she was always taking his arm when they were walking side by side or simply standing looking at wines and other spirits and he was all too happy to get her doors for her and did his best to be a perfect gentleman which Violet appreciated and it was there in the cold room of the liquor store where Violet and Buddy were staring at one of many walls of floor to ceiling craft beer before none other than Keith and Greg showed up since they just got off of work and stopped in their tracks and stared when they saw Buddy in there with Violet as they huddled together in the cold room, trying to pick out beers but Violet didn't really drink beer and Buddy didn't either so they weren't sure what exactly they were looking at.</p>
<p>"Bud?" They called out before Buddy turned his head.</p>
<p>"Hey guys." Buddy greeted happily as Violet put on a friendly smile since she had already been running background checks on them and recognized them from meeting them in Vegas when Buddy had introduced them to her formally at the casino.</p>
<p>"Are you out on a walk?" They teased Buddy.</p>
<p>"He is, I figured if I held his hand, he wouldn't have to be on a leash." Violet answered with a shit eating grin which got them all to laugh as she slipped her hand into Buddy's and held it for emphasis but wouldn't let it go and Buddy was unbelievably pleased about that and gently squeezed it a little in appreciation.</p>
<p>"It would look a little strange." Greg allowed.</p>
<p>"Especially when he has to wear a shock collar to go with it." Violet clicked her teeth with a wink that got all of them to erupt into further laughter as Buddy's cheeks were beet red along with his ears and suddenly the cold room wasn't so cold anymore.</p>
<p>"So you're into that kind of thing?" Keith teased Violet.</p>
<p>"No, it was just a dig." Violet answered with a shake of her head.</p>
<p>"Damn." Buddy sarcastically snapped his fingers in his other hand in mock disappointment as Violet raised a challenging brow at him.</p>
<p>"I mean, whew, am I glad you're not." Buddy re-answered with a cheesy grin which earned some snickers from his friends as Violet just chuckled and shook her head.</p>
<p>"I'm gonna go back out and check out the cordials with the cart and warm back up, you guys can stay and pick out beer, help him pick out something you guys will like and enjoy on Saturday." Violet offered sweetly before she excused herself and Buddy immediately missed her by his side.</p>
<p>"Dude!" Keith quietly congratulated as he came and did the handshake hug with Buddy.</p>
<p>"Bud, be careful, you're playing with fire." Greg warned as he did the same.</p>
<p>"I know there's a risk for both of us, that's why we're just friends." Buddy reassured Greg.</p>
<p>"You didn't look "just friends" when we came in, you guys looked like 'cute couple' and even 'wow what's a dime like her doing with a nickel like him'." Keith murmured as he got to work getting some really good beers for Buddy to take to Violet which earned a humph from Buddy.</p>
<p>"Really? I'm a five." Buddy deadpanned.</p>
<p>"Four, five was generous." Greg added with a playful punch to the shoulder as Buddy gave him an unimpressed look.</p>
<p>"Sad part is I agree. So what beers should we get?" Buddy asked.</p>
<p>"Oh Dragon's Milk for sure. We need to cover the bases, we need to get a good stout or two, perhaps a porter, maybe a couple of lagers and pilsners and IPA's to round it out." Keith urged as he started pulling out what looked good.</p>
<p>"You and craft beers." Greg just shook his head at Keith who started handing him six packs and four packs before he handed the others to Buddy to hold.</p>
<p>"Yeah, but I'm grateful because anything other than whiskey or vodka and I'm lost." Buddy shrugged.</p>
<p>"Speaking of how are you doing with that?" Greg asked.</p>
<p>"Doing good, surprisingly." Buddy answered honestly. </p>
<p>"Well with a tall glass of water like the one you're with. I'd think you'd want to stay sober so you don't miss a second of her." Keith answered before he snagged two dessert beers himself.</p>
<p>"This is true." Buddy agreed with a fond grin.</p>
<p>"You know, even though she's kind of off limits. She did look pretty happy with you and vice versa. Whenever I see her with Phillip, she looks so serious and looks like she's just always on and always working and can't relax. With you it's like she's just hanging out and it's a lot more casual." Keith appraised.</p>
<p>"And you would be absolutely right and that's why she likes hanging out with me more than him." Buddy grinned victoriously.</p>
<p>"Just don't screw the pooch by screwing the boss' pet." Greg warned.</p>
<p>"Like I said, just friends...<em>so far</em>." Buddy admitted as he tried to keep his smile in check because the thought of anything more was too much to hope for yet strangely well within reach. </p>
<p>"So you've thought about it." Greg prodded.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I mean I'm still alive and have a pulse don't I?" Buddy returned as his friends hummed and murmured their agreement to that sentiment.</p>
<p>"Yeah I thought I saw your smile grow a little brighter when she held your hand and teased you like a proper girlfriend." Keith grinned.</p>
<p>"Ok, I don't know about you guys but I'm freezing my ass off in here, can we be done? Please?" Buddy requested before Keith grabbed one more.</p>
<p>"Yes, now we're done." Keith assured him as the three managed to get out and look through the store for Violet who was perusing the cheeses because the liquor store had a couture snack market to go with all the wine and spirits and had a really good selection and was putting some cheeses and crackers together and was getting hit on by some guy who was trying to lean into her personal space while he spit his best game at her and judging by her own body language, she was doing what she could to ignore him.</p>
<p>"Here's your chance, play her boyfriend and scare off the creeper, do it, do it, do it!" Keith urged in an excited whisper to Buddy who was already picking up his steps to come to her rescue.</p>
<p>"Honey? You pick out the cheeses you wanted?" Buddy took a chance and asked as he slipped the beer into the cart next to her and the smile Violet gave him was pure magic.</p>
<p>"Almost, I can't decide between the brie and the camembert. Did you guys get enough beer?" Violet giggled as Keith and Greg unloaded their beers into the cart too as she held up the cheeses in question to Buddy.</p>
<p>"I think we should get both." Buddy decided.</p>
<p>"Very smart decision Dear. I knew there was a reason I married you." Violet cooed as she stole into his side after she slipped them into the basket of the cart with the others.</p>
<p>"Oh, I..I didn't see a…" the guy tried to say as he started backing up at the sight of Buddy and his friends around him and knew he was outmanned and outgunned.</p>
<p>"Oh it's at the jewelers, one of the accent diamonds was coming loose." Violet waived off. "You ready to check out Handsome?" Violet urged Buddy as she practically moved Buddy into place pushing the cart so she could still wrap her hand around the crook of his elbow as he pushed it.</p>
<p>"If you are Darlin." Buddy answered as he followed her lead. </p>
<p>"Then let's go." Violet agreed as they walked to the check out as Violet let her head fall on Buddy's shoulder as they waited in line before she kissed his shoulder.</p>
<p>"Thanks for the save." Violet thanked him as she let her lips linger there and the utter delight in her eyes had Buddy hoping and praying and wishing on every lucky star he had that one day he'd make that a reality.</p>
<p>"You're welcome." Buddy answered before he took a chance and kissed her forehead sweetly which practically made her beam a happy smile at him as Keith and Greg knew then, that there were serious sparks there and were torn between being happy for their friend yet terrified for them both.</p>
<p>"You guys are gonna help us load all this up right?" Violet put to Keith and Greg who were buying their own packs of beer as they stood in line behind Violet and Buddy.</p>
<p>"Yeah, of course." They agreed from their place behind them and once through the line, the guys did their best "Tetris" it all into the back of Violet's SUV with everything else they had bought.</p>
<p>"Guys, it would be appreciated if not a word is breathed about what happened in there." Buddy reminded his friends as Violet was happy and relieved that he said something instead of her having to.</p>
<p>"I don't know what you're talking about," Greg answered.</p>
<p>"I didn't even know anything even happened." Keith shrugged.</p>
<p>"Thanks guys." Violet answered appreciatively as Buddy smiled proudly.</p>
<p>"Well, say hi to the missus' from us. See you Saturday guys." Buddy bid them before he opened the door for Violet to get in the SUV before going around and getting in it himself and was pleasantly surprised when Violet laced her fingers in his after he got the SUV in gear.</p>
<p>"Thank you for saying something to them, it meant that I didn't have to slip back into <em>Ms. Parr</em> and could just stay Violet." Violet thanked him in a soft murmur but her adoring smile was utterly divine.</p>
<p>"I didn't want that to happen either, if there's anything I can say or do to keep you as Violet, doesn't matter who I'm with, just let me know." Buddy returned as he chanced a gentle squeeze to her hand and was happy when she squeezed back but made no move to remove her hand from his.</p>
<p>"So where did you want to go out to dinner?" Buddy asked.</p>
<p>"Ok, I know another really good place." Violet answered as he gave him directions on where to go where she brought him to a dim sum/tapas place that was run by a couple where the wife was Chinese and her husband was from Spain and it worked beautifully as Violet once again ordered off both menus in both languages since their server was the couple's daughter and was herself trilingual, flipping from one to the other flawlessly to get all her favorites and Buddy was utterly enchanted to see her smile so excitedly and once all the food came out and soon covered every surface of the table and the dim sum had to be triple stacked because the tapas couldn't be, Buddy just beamed a proud smile to see her do a happy dance as she uncovered everything before she went around and identified everything that she ordered before she got her own plate and began getting one of everything, using her chopsticks like a pro before going for the soup dumplings first and walked Buddy through trying to eat them without burning his mouth before they alternated between the tapas and dim sum, slowly but surely getting through most of it, and making sure to at least try one of everything and Buddy felt he would have to loosen his belt and ate until he was just about stuffed.</p>
<p>"Ok, we have to get one more, it's a dessert dumpling." Violet said as she waived down the waitress and ordered what she wanted before she nodded and left again.</p>
<p>"I don't know if I could eat much more Vi." Buddy admitted as he took a breath, and tried not to belch too loudly. </p>
<p>"Just one more bite, find that extra pocket everyone keeps for dessert and get it ready to receive amazingness." Violet urged as she organized what they would be taking home in leftovers in the to-go boxes and in a few moments one last steamer box was brought out and Buddy could smell chocolate.</p>
<p>"Behold, chocolate soup dumplings, with chocolate, Nutella and bananas." Violet revealed as she took the top off as Buddy oohed. Then he carefully got the little pillow of mochi dough surrounding the gooey center and Buddy melted in his seat when he bit into it.</p>
<p>"See? Best last bite." Violet urged as she began to bire into one of her own.</p>
<p>"Do you know how to make this?" Buddy asked.</p>
<p>"Yes I do. The mochi dough is hard but the filling is easy." Violet answered as she finished hers just about the same time Buddy did.</p>
<p>"Do you want another or are you good?" Violet asked.</p>
<p>"I'm good, now if I take another bite, I'll pop." Buddy admitted.</p>
<p>"Wouldn't want that to happen." Violet replied with a fond smile before she checked the time.</p>
<p>"Well, we have two hours before our 12 hours of freedom is up. How do you want to spend it?" Violet asked.</p>
<p>"I don't care. However you want to spend it." Buddy returned.</p>
<p>"Could you do me a favor?" Violet asked thoughtfully as she tilted her head curiously.</p>
<p>"Name it." Buddy furthered.</p>
<p>"As sad and shallow as this is going to sound, I have not hung out socially with anyone except for other "<em>gifted</em>" individuals. In...well in years and being from a "gifted" family, all they know are other "gifted" people too and with other gifted people, you don't worry about hiding your gifts cause everyone has them and we always play and try to one up each other. So to try to be "normal" yet feel comfortable is going to be especially hard for me. It's going to be a challenge for me to stay Violet especially when I'm around anyone and everyone, but you, as <em>Ms. Parr </em>or simply "Vi" with my family. So...would you help me pick something to wear? Like set the tone, something actually casual but nice but not...<em>intimidating</em>. Because <em>Ms. Parr </em>is always commanding and intimidating wherever she goes and I don't want to be like that with your friends cause they'll never feel comfortable around me and if they're not comfortable, it's going to ruin it and this is your first social visit and I want it to go well and I don't want to ruin it for you. And I would ask Jack but he would see to it that I come in head to toe designer labels." Violet confessed lowly as they once again leaned across the table so they could drop their voices and have a private conversation despite the very busy restaurant.</p>
<p>"Of course." Buddy agreed.</p>
<p>"Awesome, then let me pay for dinner and we'll go." Violet offered and once they got their things, Violet directed Buddy to one of the high rise apartment buildings in town. Not the most luxurious, but close.</p>
<p>"Ok, now go to the tenth floor of the parking garage and park in parking space 10245." Violet directed as Buddy did as she asked, still not letting go of her hand as he drove his way up the parking garage. Not surprised when he saw a sea of Mercedes Benz, BMW's, Land Rovers and even some classic cars and sports cars before he found the right spot and parked her SUV into it before they got out and walked into the building where a doorman let them in from behind tinted glass of the entry way. </p>
<p>"Good evening Ms. Parr."</p>
<p>"Good evening James, how's Linda faring today?" Violet returned politely.</p>
<p>"She's doing better, thanks for asking." He answered before he looked questioningly from Violet to Buddy.</p>
<p>"Awesome, this is my guest Mr. Bartholomew Pine, This is Mr. James Conner. " Violet introduced before the two shook hands inside the entryway.</p>
<p>"Welcome to Sky Way, Mr. Pine." James said as he opened the door both of them as Violet came into the building and into the lobby of the floor.</p>
<p>"Good evening Ms. Parr." The receptionist greeted cheerfully.</p>
<p>"Good evening Samantha, how are you this evening?" Violet politely greeted.</p>
<p>"I'm doing great, thanks for asking, you have three packages today. Let me go get those for you from cold storage." She said as she quickly left and went into the office behind the desk and promptly returned with three packages, which were chilled before Buddy offered to carry them for Violet which Violet was grateful for before Buddy went with Violet to her apartment where she opened the door for him so he could get in and Violet blew out a breath of relief when she could tell that the "spiders" were still sleeping in her apartment.</p>
<p>"You can put them on the island." Violet directed as she got her actual mail that had been scattered on the floor since it overflowed the little mail basket and threw a small forcefield around all of it and pulled it back to her hand.</p>
<p>"That's a neat trick." Buddy commented as he passed her in the little hallway.</p>
<p>"Thanks, Jack calls it my 'yo-yo' powers. It comes in pretty handy so I don't have to bend over and pick anything up off the floor." Violet murmured a little distractedly as she looked over her mail and sighed as she began to look through it and started to organize it according to what it was before she used her powers to yo-yo two letter openers into her hand once they both came to stand at her kitchen island.</p>
<p>"You get the packages, I get the mail." Violet offered as she handed him one of them.</p>
<p>"Ok." Buddy agreed and took it and started opening her boxes which were all meal kits, which was why they were in cold storage to keep the contents fresh before he put all the food away for her as Violet opened her mail as she opened her bills first and looked those over before she opened all her other mail, ignoring the junk mail and going straight to the checks and opened those before she got a pen from a drawer in the island and signed the checks then got her phone out and took pictures of her checks to deposit them into her accounts directly before she put the checks into an envelope with the date written on the envelope to signify which checks she got which days before she put the envelope into a filing cabinet under the month folder.</p>
<p>Buddy couldn't help but notice that her income was far exceeding her expenses but kept his observations to herself as he realized her apartment was just as nice, if not nicer than his own apartment space. Quite luxurious and modern actually. </p>
<p>"You have a nice apartment." Buddy praised.</p>
<p>"Thanks, I'm never here enough to enjoy it, I only sleep here and eat about two meals a week here. Phillip insisted that I stay at a "safe, protected and respectable" place, so that left either here or a place at Green Gardens or Garden Square where he owns the penthouse there and that was way too close to comfort for me. Besides it has a spider and a mole problem and in two years when I'm not working for Phillip, I'll very happily be walking away from it." Violet answered as she took off her jacket and put it into the closet.</p>
<p>"I can take your jacket." Violet offered before Buddy took off his jacket and handed it to her.</p>
<p>"A mole problem?" Buddy repeated.</p>
<p>"Yeah not only does this place have thirty something "spiders" but the door men at both the ground level and this floor and half the reception staff and every single one of my neighbors on all sides are on Phillip's payroll to keep tabs on me and if I had to guess Phillip just got either two calls or texts or whatever saying that I've taken you to my place and so the spiders are about to wake up here, any minute." Violet predicted as she closed her eyes and focused on them around the place.</p>
<p>"Jeeze. Yeah, gilded cage." Buddy realized as he looked around and suddenly frowned at all of it, wondering where the spiders had their webs.</p>
<p>"Yup. So, let's go to my closet." Violet urged as Buddy followed her to her frankly gorgeous bedroom before she opened up a door that led to the most amazing walk in closet that was practically full of gorgeous dressy business clothes, handbags and heels before Buddy noticed that Violet stopped and stared at a little sliver of regular looking clothes before she took them all off the rack and then laid them over the bed before she decided to try to pull just a few of her more flattering blouses.</p>
<p>"Too much?" Violet asked as she held them out for Buddy as she held them in front of herself.</p>
<p>"No, like if you were to pair that with a pair of jeans it would be just fine. Granted Tammy, Lisa and Beth are probably going to dress up just a little bit too. You don't have to compete with them and you don't have to be the most beautiful woman in the room, I mean you will be no matter what, but that's just my opinion, but this isn't a competition. Just be Violet. Wear what you would if you were hosting a get together at your place with people you're comfortable with. Wear what you would be comfortable in. Remember almost all of them have kids and kids are messy so don't wear anything that won't be the end of the world if Beth's baby throws up on you or the kids decide to finger paint you with ketchup or something." Buddy explained as Violet just smiled appreciatively at him.</p>
<p>"Well, these are dry clean only, so something washable." Violet decided as she put them back and went through her other blouses before she came across one of her favorites that would 1. Make her look beautiful. 2. Was machine washable. 3. Not too dressy and it would go with the necklace Buddy had gotten for her that she had yet to take off. </p>
<p>"This." Violet decided before she held it up to her jeans before she found a nice pair of jeans to go with it.</p>
<p>"Perfect." Buddy nodded in approval.</p>
<p>"Are you sure it's not too dressy?" Violet questioned.</p>
<p>"You'll be fine. Honestly you could show up in just a plain t shirt and jeans and be fine." Buddy reassured her.</p>
<p>"Well, ok, well how about I pack, this and...this. Just in case Beth's baby practically leaks out of every orifice." Violet decided as she gathered what she wanted and put them into a small duffle bag before throwing in some unmentionables quickly from her dresser as Buddy simply sat on the bench at the foot of her bed and contentedly watched as she got what she wanted from around the room as he fantasized about how she would pack if they were actually together and he had told her that he was taking them away on vacation as he thought of all the places he would like to take her as he started to fidget with the skin around his left ring finger, wondering what kind of wedding ring she would get him if they ever did or could get married. He remembered fantasizing the same thing with Tali. But part of him was grateful that she had turned him down, because if she hadn't he would have never grown out of his obsession. And would have she been truly happy with him? Especially the person he was back then? Or would she have felt the way Violet felt about Phillip? Grin and bear it and then bolt at the first opportunity as he realized what had been Tali's breaking point. When he had shot down the plane that had them all on it. He had been so hell bent on revenge on Mr. Incredible that he hadn't even felt the slightest bit of guilt or shame in ordering to kill kids. He had no respect for the sanctity of life, especially young and innocent life and how much he deserved what he had gotten. He had earned it. That was for sure.</p>
<p>"You ok?" Violet asked as she noticed Buddy get withdrawn as he seemed to stare off into space before she settled next to him and reached out and held his hand again and brought him out of it.</p>
<p>"Yeah." Buddy took a deep breath and tried to clear his head of his accusing thoughts.</p>
<p>"Just deep in thought." Buddy tried to brush off.</p>
<p>"About what?" Violet asked curiously.</p>
<p>"The spiders are still sleeping." Violet whispered as she decided to rest her chin on his shoulder again and give him a curious look.</p>
<p>"Just wondering how close the parallels are between Tali and I and you and Phillip." Buddy confessed and Violet took a deep breath through her nose.</p>
<p>"Would you be surprised to learn not a lot?" Violet returned.</p>
<p>"I was an asshole, how could she stand me?" Buddy questioned, almost rhetorically before Violet lifted her head and just shook her head with a fond grin of her lips.</p>
<p>"Because of who she was at the time herself. You were strong and powerful and knew how to throw your weight around and she felt that you were simply misunderstood and she was genuinely attracted to all of that, especially when you treated her like a goddess and catered to her every need, want and whim and she was bound and determined to turn the two of you into a powerhouse couple. Be the next Beyoncé and Jay-Z but of the tech world. She appreciated your genius and knew it would just be a matter of time before the rest of the world recognized and appreciated it too and she was in it for the long haul. And if you hadn't tried to blow me and my family up and then when we survived how you treated us when you captured us, even as kids. Those were the steps too far and really bothered her conscience as they should have anyone. Otherwise she would have stayed. But messing with kids was her line in the sand as is mine. And when you stomped on it, that shook her hard enough to really see you for who you really were in that moment and it made her question if her genuine attraction was to you or to everything around you and question if it was worth it and she decided it wasn't. So she acted accordingly." Violet explained, not sugar coating it but telling him the truth, but still trying to be tactful. </p>
<p>"She made the right choice." Buddy concluded.</p>
<p>"She did." Violet nodded, proud of him for seeing that too.</p>
<p>"But the biggest difference is, her relationship with you was built on genuine, mutual respect that grew from there. Phil's relationship with me isn't. It's built off of power and control and manipulation and secrets and lies on both sides and Phillip adores Invisigirl and <em>Ms. Parr</em> -which is what his own fantasy of who I am is- that I have to live up to whether it's real or not and it doesn't matter how much I like it or hate it, it's part of the performance and he's happy with the act and buys the performance over and over again and he's never bothered to get to know <em>Violet</em>, the real Violet anyway. But you have, so our relationship is built off of um, let's see…." Violet took a deep breath and sighed as she brought his hand into her lap to consider how nicely their fingers interlaced together as she once again was drawn to all the scars on his hand as she couldn't help but trace them as she searched her thoughts and feelings for a moment.</p>
<p>"I feel ours is built on genuine mutual respect, honesty, understanding, sympathy and empathy and kindness. Which all good relationships should have and be built on to begin with, no matter what kind of relationship it is. And it's why it works as well as it does. Even with our shared history." Violet honestly appraised as Buddy carefully considered her words and was elated that it was even that much.</p>
<p>"What do you think?" Violet posed as she turned to him and looked at him curiously.</p>
<p>"I agree. Even though I'm not all that respectable, I'm a…"</p>
<p>"<em>Don't</em>. Don't start down that self deprecating pity party of a path. You're better than that and it's not fair to the guy you are now. In the past you were misguided and self righteous and vengeful. And then Karma handed you your ass and you humbly took the beating. And it's what you did after and since- that's mattered and it's what you're doing now that matters the most and who you are in this moment that matters too. Especially to me. Forgive yourself for the rest. I know I have." Violet appraised as the two shared a meaningful look and just as Violet gave his lips a glance as Buddy did the same and was seriously considering kissing her, her eyes went wide and she withdrew and bolted a few steps from him.</p>
<p>"Spiders are waking up." Violet whispered as she did her best to look and act "natural" again but even Buddy could see, the Violet he adored, shrunk back and Ms. Parr stepped back into the fore, he saw it in her posture and body language and Buddy was once again filled with anger and resentment towards Phillip, for doing such a thing to her. She deserved better than to live in fear, even in her own private space. Which should be sacred. </p>
<p>"Well, it's about that time Mr. Pine, we should be heading back, thanks for all your help." Violet thanked him as she put the bag over her shoulder and held onto it tightly as Buddy got up and left with her again and even in her SUV, Violet stayed withdrawn and eerily quiet as Buddy drove them back to SEB and the whole way over Buddy just got more and more angry and resentful to Phillip.</p>
<p>Violet stowed her bag of clothes in Buddy's room, in the closet before she helped Buddy unload everything else from her SUV and it was almost enjoyable to see and feel them slipping back into such domestic tasks in an effortless tandem. Even as mundane as putting away groceries was. But even Buddy could tell that Violet stayed withdrawn as Ms. Parr had taken over fully again because there was a surgical precision to her movements. She was trying to get things done as quickly and thoroughly as she could. Just a step below rushing before Buddy simply stopped and held her hands.</p>
<p>"The spiders won't always be around." Buddy breathed.</p>
<p>"I know. It's hard to know when they'll go to sleep again." Violet answered, her words barely a whisper before she reluctantly pulled her hands from his with an apologetic look as she finished what she needed to.</p>
<p>"Thanks for today though, I'll see you in the morning Mr. Pine." Violet said as she put her shoes back on before she left and drove home and finished putting her mail away and broke down her boxes and put them in a closet where she kept spare boxes to ship things out and was grateful that the "spiders" in her own apartment had been put back to sleep before she got ready for bed, brushing her hair and braiding it so it wouldn't tangle in her sleep and when she went to bed, she thought over all the events of the day in her head and actually smiled softly in the darkness. Buddy had been amazing, all day, and for him to slip into 'boyfriend/husband' at the liquor store had been so natural for both of them. Had her wishing maybe someday...because she couldn't deny or dismiss the feelings she had started to develop for him. It had started off as just two birds in side by side cages, sharing a toy or two. And it developed and bloomed from there. Natalia had even said that she had always been surprised when her attachment to Buddy had seemingly grown overnight and how one day she was his employee, and the next, she was his everything in all things. And how that seemed for her to be the same. One day, he was an an enemy, the next- an obligation and objective, the day after, an acquaintance, the next day he was a friend, and the day after that it felt like he was so much more but she was so scared of putting any names or labels on any of it because she didn't want to try to force it into anything or cut it into shape before it could fully sprout. She was genuinely curious to see how much more this would develop and bloom, like a growing vine despite the concrete around it.</p>
<p>But there was the issue of his name. Buddy wasn't exactly the most romantic name to call out during the throws of passion, Bud was informal but not quite right, although all his friends called him Bud. Buddy was a little infantilizing. Buddy is what you called other little boys on the playground when you didn't know their names. Bart was too old. Barret could possibly work before she got her phone and looked up common nicknames for Bartholomew. Barty was ridiculous. Tolly was too much like Tali. So that left...Barly, possible, but maybe too similar to barley, the grain, Barret, kind of like the gun, but it was the only good alternative she could like. But she needed something other than dead give away pet names, like Honey, Darling, Baby, Sweetie, Handsome that kind of thing that Phillip would immediately flag and get jealous and suspicious over, but still something a little more intimate than 'Bud' . Something she could use that was special but not something that would make others look at her strangely if she started to use it. It would be good on Raid days to call him something to go with Violet or Vi. Violet still came to the conclusion that Barret was as good as it was going to get because Barret and Violet did go together. Maybe he had something he preferred? Maybe something to do with his middle name. Maybe. But for now, she just needed sleep.</p>
<p>Violet found herself walking through another very luxurious home like space, normally, such a thing would make her a little nervous but she wasn't because Buddy was with her and held her hand as he excitedly showed her everything and explained what was what. And she was dressed casually and happily walked around barefoot as the windows were open and there was a warm breeze and bright sunshine coming in from all the windows, most of which were open and she could almost hear the ocean and to see him so animated and excited as she showed it off made her happy that he was happy. And that's all that mattered. </p>
<p>"And this is the bedroom, it has the best views." Buddy insisted as he opened the double doors for her before he brought her into the space as Violet softly gasped. It was even prettier than any bedroom she had ever seen in any magazine. </p>
<p>"We need to check out the bed." Buddy immediately hopped up on the bed, his own bare feet sinking into the softness of the mattress and the covers as he held out his hand to beckon her before she stood up on it with him before he started to bounce which got her to laugh as she started bouncing too before the two of them were outright jumping and bouncing all over the bed, laughing their asses off before they happily fell down and crashed into the bed on their backs next to each other as their laughter eventually died down. </p>
<p>"So what do you think of the house?" Buddy asked as they rolled to face each other. </p>
<p>"I love it. Even if you had not designed and practically built it yourself, and even if we had just bought it, I would still love it." Violet insisted as the two scooted closer to each other until they were chest to chest with Buddy's hand softly stroking down her back and her side as Violet reached around him and scratched his back, dipping her hands under his shirt to scratch at his bare skin, which earned her an appreciative keen from him as he rolled over her slightly to one- pin her to the bed, two- give her more access to his back. </p>
<p>"Really? You're not just saying that?" Buddy asked. </p>
<p>"I mean every word of it. Honest. It's perfect, you did so good, I'm so proud of you." Violet cooed before he dipped her head and kissed her happily as she kissed him back with all she was worth as the two of them seemed to follow a familiar pattern and chain of events as they pulled down the covers down as they tried to bare the other before they were finally rejoined. </p>
<p>"I'm not hurting you or the baby am I?" Buddy asked as he palmed her belly which had barely bulged as he positioned himself over her and began stroking himself into her. </p>
<p>"No, you're not, you're fine, I'm just happy the house is done before they come." Violet reassured him as she pulled him to herself so she could feel more of his body weight anchoring her in all the ways she needed it to before he continued. </p>
<p>"Me too." Buddy cooed in her ear before he playfully bit it before blazing a trail from her ear down her neck to her shoulder as Violet keened and sighed happily, letting him do as he pleased as she was all too happy to receive his affections as he poured all the love he possessed into her as she did the same. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Let's see, how many cliche's did I use? Fake dating? Yes. Mutual pining? Yes. Prophetic dreams? Yes. Teamwork? Yes. Semi-slow burn? Yes. Open communication? It's getting there. Thanks for reading.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Dinner With Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Violet and Buddy learn to work in tandem and pick up where the other leaves off, which works out perfectly.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded </span>
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<p> </p>
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  <span>Chapter 9</span>
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  <span>Saturday morning Violet happily got dressed in a gorgeous floral dress that was tea length with a cardigan and beautiful comfortable sandals and did her hair and makeup to reflect a more- sweet, non threatening and likable look as she could, before she went to the florist to pick up the flower arrangements she had ordered for Beth, Tammy and Lisa and had ordered them to look like centerpieces because surely every woman enjoyed getting flowers and was happy when they came out looking and more importantly smelling-<em> divine</em>. </span>
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  <span>Then she went to the bakery, <em>The Merry Cherry</em>, to pick up the cake and the cupcakes, because Buddy and her had decided, especially since everyone was bringing their kids that they should make the cake tempting enough to encourage the kids to eat all of their dinner, so they got a <em>galaxy cake</em> and galaxy cupcakes which did look really awesome. Then she went to <em>Chocolacier</em>- a boutique chocolatier that was right around the corner from the Merry Cherry, to pick up her huge case of chocolate covered strawberries and four big cases of chocolates, one for each family to take home with them and the last one for Buddy and his guests to enjoy after dinner. </span>
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  <span>She had spent the night before with Jack who helped her get little gift bags together for all the kids at Party City, a party supply place which went with the galaxy theme because it was gender neutral and age appropriate for all the kids involved and Jack had been invaluable in making sure each child would receive something special, yet age appropriate and more importantly - <em>super cool,</em> before she made another stop across the street from Chocolacier, to <em>Linster Rivera</em> which was a very high end delicatessen and charcuterie bodega to get all the charcuterie elements because she was bound and determined to have a proper cheese and charcuterie board and even bought a huge authentic charcuterie board and a set of cheese knives because she had already gotten some cheeses and crackers at the liquor store’s market but she needed <em>more</em> to round everything out along with some last minute items before she drove into SEB to deliver everything.</span>
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  <span>Buddy frowned when he heard a thudding at his apartment door before he came and opened the door to see a pile of things so tall, he couldn’t see Violet’s head and knew she must have been “knocking” with the toe of her sandal but the flowers covering her head were breathtaking. </span>
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  <span>“Hi,” came Violet’s muffled greeting from behind the pile of things as her head had been nestled in the bouquet itself as everything else was precariously stacked within her arms, threatening to overflow them. </span>
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  <span>“Oh my goodness, here, let me help with that.” Buddy laughed as he took as much from her as he could manage but nearly dropped what he was carrying when he saw her. <em>She was so beautiful</em>. She was always beautiful but today, she was extra gorgeous and disarmingly bewitching that had him swooning, it was like seeing her for the first time all over again as the butterflies once again fluttered almost thunderously within his belly and his heart skipped a beat or two.</span>
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  <span>“Have you ever heard of taking two trips?” Buddy teased with a chuckle as he did his best to be as unaffected by her as he could and felt he was failing miserably. </span>
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  <span>“Well that’s the thing, I have another load down there, probably two or three.” Violet answered honestly as she organized what was left and avoided his gaze as she did her best to stamp down her own bashfulness as her cheeks flushed rose. </span>
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  <span>“Load of <em>what</em>?” Buddy asked as he tried to think of what else she could have possibly brought that he hadn’t prepared for.  </span>
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  <span>“Well, I got Jack off the bus yesterday and he asked about today and I told him about it and he suggested that we make gift bags for the kids and since we got a galaxy cake, we got galaxy themed gift bags and stuff because they’re age neutral and gender neutral and would be inclusive for everyone. And so we went to Party City and we kind of went a little nuts and then it snowballed from there. So I have gift bags for all the kids, <em>and the baby</em>.” Violet confessed because she had also drug Jack to Target to get together some things for Beth's baby- Roman, and Buddy’s heart melted that she was being so thoughtful and doubted Jack would really do such a thing and figured she was using her little brother as an excuse to do something nice and inclusive for the kids. Which was incredibly sweet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, you didn’t have to, it’s just a dinner, not really a party. Very sweet of you to think of them though.” Buddy noted as he put his own stack on his kitchen island and started to unpack what she had gotten, impressed when he saw all the deli stuff as his stomach reminded him it was going to be lunch time soon. </span>
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<p>
  <span>“Yeah Jack, with his silver tongue, justified it as a mini SEB public relations stunt and I have extras just in case any of the kids end up bringing a friend or two.” Violet explained with a chuckle which got Buddy to grin, as he reconsidered his previous thought about Jack but also knew that Violet wasn’t one to be talked into something she didn’t want to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So yeah, I have a big tub with gift bags in the back of my SUV.” Violet informed him bashfully and Buddy could tell she was nervous and anxious and obviously trying <em>so hard</em> to gain approval. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well let me help you unload the rest of it.” Buddy insisted as he slipped his own shoes on real quick as Buddy went with her to her SUV in the parking garage. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How are the spider’s in here?” Buddy asked in a whisper as they walked side by side in tandem. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not nearly as bad, just watching, not listening.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well let me know when their webs aren’t in the way.” Buddy said before Violet suddenly pulled them to be between huge SUV’s and Buddy didn’t even ask, he just pulled her into a tight hug and smiled sadly when she hugged him back just as tightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you nervous?” Buddy murmured. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know I have no reason to be.” Violet answered with a defeated sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you by any chance feel the need to overcompensate?” Buddy guessed gently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I still feel like I’m intruding and I gotta make up for that.” Violet confessed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not intruding. You’re just as invited as everyone else. They’re all cool with you coming. They were excited about it actually. Keith most of all, which is kinda creepy with how enthusiastic he was.” Buddy teased and smiled when he felt her smile into his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And even if they don’t like you, I can always get new friends.” Buddy offered which got Violet to snort a laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s ridiculous.” Violet murmured as she finally seemed to relax in his arms though as Buddy smiled happily when she finally did. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah but I like you better than I do them.” Buddy reassured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t though.” Violet argued softly as Buddy felt her shoulder’s sag which got him to frown. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I do, it’s too late to go back now, besides it’s going to be ok. It’s just a group of friends hanging out. That’s all it is and the moment they come into my place, you won’t have to be Ms. Parr for the rest of the day, all you need to be and should be is Violet. And that’s more than enough.” Buddy reassured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok.” Violet finally caved as she nuzzled her face into the crux of his neck and shoulder before she got a call which caused them to part reluctantly.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Violet answered when she saw the caller ID. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, what time is your thing today?” Violet’s mom Helen called. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, kind of an all day thing, but it technically starts at five, why? What do you need?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Could you get Jack, he spent the night at his friend Jaxon’s house and he was supposed to be spending the weekend with them and your Dad and I are already out of town on business and Dash is at Ashley's or Amy’s or I forget which girl he’s going out with now,  but Jaxon’s parents have plans tonight at someone else’s house and they don’t want to be rude to that host by having Jack tag along, so could you pick him up?” Helen asked hopefully as Violet scrunched up her face which Buddy thought was beyond adorable. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yup, I got him, I’ll give him a call.” Violet agreed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks Honey, Jack will give you the address.” Helen answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome, have fun and be safe, bye Mom.” Violet bit her mom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You too Sweetie bye.” Helen thanked her.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it seems Jack needs me to go get him. I’m sorry, I really wanted to stay and help out more.” Violet began to apologize. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well if it’s not too weird, Jack could just hang out with us, he’s more than welcome to and he can stay the rest of the day if he wanted to too, it’s not like he’s going to be the only kid around here.” Buddy generously offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? You don’t mind?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not one bit, as long as he’s ok with it.” Buddy answered before Violet reached up on her toes and kissed his cheek sweetly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Violet thanked him before she got back on her phone and called her brother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Vi,” Jack greeted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, so here’s the deal, Mom and Dad are already out of town, and Dash is still screwing his way through a model catalog…” Violet began before Buddy snorted a laugh before he quickly covered his mouth with his hand so he wouldn’t make any more noise as he and Violet shared a meaningful look. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I’m still here at work but I’m helping set up for the thing tonight, now my host has offered for you to just hang out with us…” Violet began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes! I’m ready now, you can pick me up now.” Jack eagerly insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, ok then, text me the address. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Violet replied before she hung up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, by any chance, did you ever have any other nicknames besides Buddy or Bud, because Bartholomew is a mouthful?” Violet asked Buddy thoughtfully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, why? Were you looking for one?” Buddy asked curiously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, because you have the distinction between Violet and Ms. Par and Invisigirl, I was hoping you had another distinction between Mr. Pine.” Violet explained as she self consciously put her hair behind her ears. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, well, Tali called me Tully, so that’s out.”  Buddy realized as his brain was spinning into a tizzy at the possible implications of what this could mean for them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, otherwise, I’ve been called any number of things…” Buddy tried to think of something to give her but was coming up with a blank.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about Barret?” Violet suggested hopefully and Buddy was ready to go down to the courthouse to change his legal name to that because the way she said it was making the butterflies flutter again, like they usually did whenever she was around but now they were about to become a hurricane in his stomach.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Barret totally works, honestly I could just answer to ‘hey you’ if you wanted.” Buddy answered as he tried not to giggle. Because Violet having her very own private nickname just for him? Sign him up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, cause I’ve been thinking about this since Wednesday, and it would be a nice way to cut through all the Ms. Parr, Mr. Pine stuff with, but wouldn’t set Phillip off, like a pet name but I guess, <em>not a pet name</em>?” Violet carefully worded as her cheeks flushed cherry and Buddy was about to squeal in delight. She wanted an intimate pet name for him without tipping off the sensors or anyone else. So she did feel the same way! Oh how sweet the vindication and validation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, Barret totally works, Barret and Violet, Violet and Barret. Winning combination.” Buddy blathered off, trying to keep his excitement to a reasonable level. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you. Will your friends look at me crazy if I call you that in front of them though?” Violet posed.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They shouldn’t care honestly.” Buddy shook his head no with a shrug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, well help me with the tub and then I’ll go get Jack before he tries to portal here.” Violet urged before she turned and nearly ran into the SUV on the side of her which made them both erupt into laughter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, so smooth.” Violet chided herself as she led the way to her SUV and popped the back hatch to reveal a big clear plastic tub full of gift bags, with all the kid’s names on the tags and yet even more things as she grabbed the big case of chocolate covered strawberries and put all she could on top of the tub's lid in Buddy's hands before she got the remaining flower arrangements before they walked back into the building as Violet made sure he was squared away in his ‘gilded cage’ before she left to go pick up Jack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet was barely parked in front of the house before Jack came running out of the house and practically leapt into her SUV with his backpack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go, let’s go!” Jack insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is going on?” Violet asked as she waived to Jaxon’s mother before she pulled out of the driveway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We don’t have much time. Step on it.” Jack insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Much time <em>for what</em>?” Violet asked as she got back on the road. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are the spiders awake?” Jack asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, they’re sleeping.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, so I was up really late last night and I think I have a breakthrough on Phillip. But I need a lab and hopefully Mr. Pine’s genius will do the rest.” Jack explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>You</em>...Do you mean to tell me- that Jaxon’s parent’s really don’t have other plans that they couldn’t drag you along with? And that you literally called Mom and Dad to pick you up, knowing they were out of town and Dash is busy so that left me to get you so that I could watch you myself because you wanted to get one on one time with my asset?!” Violet demanded angrily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Yeah</em>, look, you told me that you told him about Phillip’s powers and the fact that he picked up on the fact that Phillip has them, and he was cool about it and he’s been really awesome about everything. If he likes you as much as you make him sound like he does, that gives him- <em>opportunity, motive and availability</em>, the magic trio to work miracles. Because I have a really bad feeling we are running out of time. Like I want this done before you leave for Hong Kong, Tokyo at the latest.” Jack insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You...<em>manipulator</em>!” Violet growled as she threw her phone at him before he let it phase through him and her phone hit the passenger door. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said that he said that he’d do anything for you right? Let him prove it.” Jack pleaded as he got her phone and handed it back to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God damn it Jack, I also told you I could be reading in between the lines and going out on a limb there.” Violet groaned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,<em> I doubt it</em>, come on, plus you know Phillip agreed that the moment anyone from your family is on SEB property that he’d promise to turn off all the cameras and listening devices. This way we get most of the day without Big Brother watching us and listening to us the whole time. Look Edna and I have been hitting our heads against a brick wall here and we’re out of ideas. And with the pictures that came up when you went to Vegas, Phillip isn’t making it hard for anyone to guess what his intentions with you are. And if we can’t find a way to stop him- you’ll be trapped as Mrs. Sebastian for life, however long <em>or short</em> that would be. You’re already miserable being his handler. I can’t imagine how awful you would feel being his wife.” Jack appealed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jack this isn’t your problem to solve.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well your way of handling it isn’t working, it’s just making it worse. If you told Mom and Dad half of what you’ve told me, then you know Dad would beat Phillip into a pulp but we both know Phillip would plant a suicide seed in his head before the first punch could be thrown. Same thing with Mom, that’s why you haven’t told anyone but me.” Jack explained and Violet couldn’t argue with that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you said it yourself that whatever Buddy puts his hands on- <em>he improves</em>. Let him put his hands and his brain on this and the worst that can happen is he can’t come up with something. The best that can happen is he solves this. We just need to give him a starting point. Give him what we’ve come up with so far and have him do his genius thing. He's already been solving your medical stuff and you said you trusted him. So trust him, take the leap of faith Vi.” Jack pleaded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How am I going to explain to Phillip that you and Barret are working on a way to expose the very powers that he has killed -who knows how many- for even talking about?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ooh, Barret, so he did go for the pet name that is </span>
  <em>
    <span>so not a pet name</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Jack grinned cheekily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He did,” Violet confided. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well that and Barret is a good way to talk about him to Mom and Dad and get them to like him before they meet him face to face and freak out that you’re hot for the guy who tried to kill the family a decade ago.” Jack said with a shrug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who said I’m ever going to let them meet?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As soon as you’re free from Phillip and you can hook up with him and go steady for a while.” Jack answered like it was the most obvious answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, every day I’m little less and less certain that’s ever going to be a possibility and you’re almost making me regret ever telling you about any of this.” Violet confessed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll be thanking me once this works, now call Phillip so he can turn off the cameras.” Jack prodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet begrudgingly called Phillip and told him that she needed to watch Jack and take him back to Mr. Pine’s floor because she was assisting Mr. Pine with the party which he agreed that the moment that Jack showed up on the cameras, they would all be shut off to protect Jack’s secrecy and privacy and they would remain that way until Jack went home. Even to the lab because he knew how Jack had a fondness for science equipment and Jack practically yelled into the phone that he had a science project that he wanted Mr. Pine’s assistance with which Phillip agreed to as well.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perfect.” Jack beamed when Violet got off the phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re lucky he still thinks he has to charm you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you’re lucky I’m immune so far.” Jack responded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It just sucks that Dash isn’t.” Violet grumbled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really think he has a suicide seed planted in his head?” Jack asked worriedly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At this point, I assume everyone within a 500 foot radius has it, hell make it a thousand feet including and especially me, and especially Barret.” Violet confessed before Jack reached over and held her hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well then we have to find a way to find it.” Jack comforted her as she squeezed his hand back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>True to Phillip’s word, Violet could feel all the camera’s shut off and the listening devices get disabled as soon as Jack was seen by the cameras. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Buddy anxiously tried to get lunch prepared, he had to charm Jack. It was clear that Violet favored Jack and was especially close to him, more than anyone so if by a longshot, he could make a good impression with Jack, despite the history, maybe he stood a chance and just as he was getting things together, Jack burst into his apartment with a very irritated looking Violet behind him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Violet said I could call you Barret, you know I’m Jack, we got Phillip to put the spiders to sleep while I’m here, we need to get in the lab, we only got about six hours before your other company comes and we need your help.” Jack said quickly as he practically bounded up to Buddy eagerly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Help with what?” Buddy asked as he was completely but pleasantly surprised by this development. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Help to expose Phillip as a Super, and save everyone who has to be around him, especially Violet.” Jack said as Buddy looked from Jack to Violet who seemed defeated and resigned as she leaned against the counter in the kitchen and looked apologetically from Jack to Buddy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who else have you talked to about this?” Buddy asked them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everyone else we can trust. Violet told me she trusts you. At least look at it.” Jack pleaded as he held up a case that had all the flashdrives of data in it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please? Because I’m out of ideas and options and so is he and everyone else.” Violet finally spoke and the heartbreak in her voice was heart rendering. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet? I really hate to do this to you, but, if you’ll finish cooking lunch, and follow this recipe, that’ll give me a head start on..” Buddy immediately decided. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me clear your lab first.” Violet smiled in relief before the three of them went into Buddy’s lab and Violet pulled up the two computers side by side and started to put in two separate codes with each hand on two separate keyboards as she closed her eyes and focused on her finger movements, coordinating both hands to do separate things before she got two spare key cards and put them into the programmer and then went into The Agency’s database and brought up all the research she had been able to do in the last year and brought up everything every other agent had discovered in their post before the keycards finished programing before she handed one to Buddy and one to Jack.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, so the key cards are a shortcut to this project and they should disable all other eyes and ears when working on them and this way all three of us can work on this together and Jack I trust you’ll let Edna use yours when you’re not using it, all of this is encrypted, and if Phillip ever gets to see any of this, he’ll assume I’m working on someone named <em>Dragon Eye</em> who is actually a real guy in China who does have similar powers but he’s not nearly as dangerous as all this makes him to be, all the intel is on Phillip, but Phillip has clearance at The Agency and we had to make something he wouldn’t notice or suspect. Here’s how far I’ve gotten, Jack, your turn.” Violet offered before she left the lab and Jack immediately plugged in all the flash drives he kept for this into the computer as Buddy focused on reading all the could as quickly as he could. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My sister really likes you.” Jack murmured to Buddy as he keyed in his own passwords to get to the contents of the drives. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She shouldn’t.” Buddy blurted before he fully let what Jack said sunk into his consciousness. Holy shit, Violet really liked him?! Yes!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But she does. Violet doesn’t trust people as far as she can kick them. She’s been doing the wrong kind of Super work for way too long and it’s changed her, but not for the better. She has no faith in people, much less humanity. She’s incredibly jaded and guarded. So for you to get through all that- says a lot about you.” Jack noted as he pulled up everything for Buddy to see. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All I’ve been doing is just being myself.” Buddy muttered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that’s all you needed to do. Violet has every reason to believe everyone she knows is in danger and can be used as leverage against her and despite everything that’s happened to her and everything else she’s done- she’s still a good person. And she will sacrifice herself to save others.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even when those others aren’t worth saving.” Buddy finished as he carefully looked at everything.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If she deems someone worthy of being saved, then they’re lucky to have her view them as such. And it means that they should respond in kind.” Jack insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is true.” Buddy had to admit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I like you.” Jack grinned at Buddy as he watched Buddy get to work.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why? You don’t even know me.” Buddy frowned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet does, and that’s more than enough for anyone, even me. And don’t worry about everyone else, they’ll come around. Just keep having her back and do everything you can with helping us with this. It’ll work out, I got a good feeling about it.” Jack advised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There, now that’s everything.” Jack said once he was finished and once Buddy read over everything, his spark lit up like lightning again before he started to link things together, like taking two halves of a sweater and finally threading and knitting them together on both ends to make a whole and complete work as Jack simply sat back and watched on with proud excitement just as Violet came in several minutes later with two big bowls of chicken carbonara Buddy had started as she handed the first to Jack and then simply placed the second one into Buddy’s hands since he was preoccupied and already jumping down the rabbit hole. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks Vi.” Buddy answered a little bit distractedly as he blindly reached for the fork before he started to feed himself before Violet leaned over and kissed his cheek sweetly which did give him pause as his head skipped a beat or two. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks Barret.” Violet couldn’t help but coo before she left as Jack did his best to pretend he didn’t see it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You-you’re welcome.” Buddy replied before Violet retreated as she left and got her own lunch and before Buddy knew it he had already dived right in again with renewed vigor and enthusiasm and Violet was grateful Buddy had written down a ‘to do’ list on when to start what and already had all his recipes pulled up and Violet happily picked up where he left off while she happily danced away in the kitchen once she synced up her phone with the kitchen sound system so Buddy could focus on her own problem as Jack seemed to float back and forth between the two all afternoon. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How’s he doing?” Violet asked Jack as she put two of the dishes into one of the ovens while the main course braised in the other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh he hasn’t barely come up for air, I’ve had to hand him- like two water bottles and a brain superfood bar so far. He’s dove in head first and he’s threading everything all together and making a proper spider web. It’s awesome. He’s even redesigning your suit. Because we’ve narrowed it down on which particular bandwidths that Phillip is “broadcasting” off. Like a radio tower. So the suit, as long as it can cover your head, can, in theory- protect you and he has already designed like a dozen more features that Edna would be drooling if she saw them and every other Super is going to want their own set of them. It’s working perfectly.” Jack informed her proudly as he got into the fridge to see what Buddy had in the way of afternoon snacks.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can see what you see in him. For once you have really good taste in men.” Jack teased before Violet mused his hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You keep that quiet.” Violet urged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s actually a really good guy though. And he clearly cares about you </span>
  <em>
    <span>enough</span>
  </em>
  <span> to take all this on with just a single ‘please’ from you and if I had to bet, he’s clearly way beyond head over heels for you. And I think you’re in just as much danger of being the future Mrs. Pine that you are being Mrs. Sebastian.” Jack hinted with a scheming grin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My love life is also not a problem to be solved, much less by you.” Violet tried to argue but the little excited grin that she immediately tried to swipe off her face was pretty telling to Jack especially. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not saying that like it’s a bad thing. You’d two be a cute couple. Whereas in the other one you’d be a hostage.” Jack shrugged as he found a string cheese and started to eat that for a snack before dinner which Violet had been doing so well at following the directions Buddy had left for himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s true.” Violet admitted- as she got a blackberry yogurt from Buddy’s fridge and ate that as a snack herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And the moment you pop out a kid, and give Mom and Dad a legitimate grandbaby they will be all on board.” Jack reminded her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about the two they already have?” Violet argued, referring to Dash’s kids. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re from two different baby mama’s and he’s not even with either one of them right now and he’s probably on his way to making a third as we speak.” Jack retorted as Violet did nod in agreement to that as she did her best to hide her own guilty expression. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe after Barret solves this, he can tackle a way to put a permanent condom on Dash.” Violet muttered sarcastically. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wouldn’t be a bad idea.” Jack offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No it wouldn’t be.” Violet agreed as she wrapped her arm around Jack and gave him a side hug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you really think Barret can do it?” Violet asked softly.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do. He’s working like over a dozen angles simultaneously and is using his entire lab to work on all of it. He really is a genius. Like a savant level of genius. Almost makes me wonder if he’s actually a Super himself.” Jack answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He probably is a low grade one, but one that there isn’t a test for yet.” Violet mused. “Either that or one hell of a gifted normal.” Violet shrugged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Either way, good brother in law material.” Jack muttered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s if we can survive Phillip’s best efforts.” Violet murmured with a grimace before she could stop herself.   </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well Barret gave Phillip the blueprint about how to come clean with you and how to move his relationship with you from asset and handler to genuine and legitimate and Phillip has yet to take him up on it or follow any of it. All Buddy is doing is following his own blueprint and it’s working out for him. That and your chemistry is pretty good if one kiss on the cheek from you sent him into a mini tizzy, I can’t imagine what he’d do if you actually kissed him- kissed him.” Jack teased and cackled when Violet smacked him upside the head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get back in that lab before I hurt you.” Violet ordered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, ok, I’m gone, one more string cheese and a Coke.” Jack said before he grabbed the can and another snack before he retreated into the lab again as Violet set everything up for the company and artfully arranged all the snacks on trays. Making not just a cheese and charcuterie board but also a tray for the remaining cheeses and fruits and nuts and of course the chocolate covered strawberries and even wrapped the cases of chocolates and made sure to fill the cards out for each of the families before putting the snack trays back into the fridge and even made an extra dish for the dinner because Buddy had the ingredients and did her best to keep her dress clean with the help of the apron but was all too happy and comfortable to be barefoot in the kitchen and out of her heeled sandals as she continued to dance around the kitchen, listening to her music and feeling right at home for some reason. Violet even had time to take a leisurely break and watch some TV as she waited for everything to finish cooking in the ovens before she set the ovens to be warm for most of the food so it wouldn’t overcook while the main course finished braising and arranged all the bottles of wine and beers before it was time for her to go greet her guests if they decided they would be coming early. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey guys, we got about 25 minutes before our company should be coming. So try to wrap up what you can and just set things to process for a while.” Violet reminded them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok.” Jack agreed from his spot at one of the pieces of equipment from the other side of the lab. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Buddy answered but Violet could tell by that tone that he was still super distracted with what he was working on before she simply shook her head and walked across the lab and purposefully sat in Buddy’s lap and placed her arm around his shoulders as the touch completely yanked him out of his hyper-focus. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha- huh?” Buddy asked as he suddenly realized she was not only next to him but obviously in his lap and the serene but expectant look she gave him as she simply reached up and gently threaded her fingers through his hair and grinned when he seemed to melt at her touch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you hear what I just told you?” Violet asked sweetly but thoughtfully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh...something about the time?” Buddy asked before he noticed what time it was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh shit, the dinner…” Buddy realized. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope, I took care of it. I just followed the to do list you left yourself and followed the recipes you had pulled up on the tablet in your kitchen. It’s all done, it’s all ready to go. The main course still has about thirty minutes left, but everything else is done. All the snacks and cold appetizers are in the fridge, already on the trays, all you have to do is pull them out of the fridge and set them on the breakfast bar. I’m just letting you know, you now have about 23 minutes before your guests arrive. So that gives you 15 minutes to wrap things up and set things to continue processing while we socialize. Can you handle that?” Violet reassured him in one of her more calming, soothing tones and Buddy was ready to propose to her in that instant as he readily held her steadily in his lap and was ready to break at least one chair if it meant she’d have nowhere to sit but his lap for the evening.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep, I can do that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good, give me your phone so I can set an alarm, just in case and then I’ll go down and see if anyone ends up being early. Ok?” Violet posed before Buddy freely handed her his phone as she put an alarm that would sound in 15 minutes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you Barret, see you in a bit.” Violet thanked him and gave his temple a quick kiss she offered before she got up and sauntered away and left as Buddy was hopeless but to watch her leave. God was he falling hard and fast for her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Someone’s gonna be Mrs. Pine.” Jack teased in a sing-song tone from across the lab once the door was closed behind Violet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shh! Don’t jinx it Man.” Buddy shushed him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet didn’t have any aversions to it when I said something about it to her earlier.” Jack added temptingly and nearly fell out of his chair laughing when Buddy reacted to that revelation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait what?” Buddy pressed as he nearly fell out of his chair as he leaned as far back as he could so he could see Jack clearly from across the lab. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Look, with Phillip, she’s a hostage, with you she’s happy and more like her old self before she did so many missions as a spy. It’s just an observation.” Jack answered as he put his hands up in defeat.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? She’s happy with me?” Buddy pressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really need to ask that? I thought you were a genius?” Jack teased with a shit eating grin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah with computers I am, to women and most social situations, not really no.” Buddy confessed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“None of us can have it all Man.” Jack shrugged. “Come on, we only have like 12 minutes left.” Jack reminded him before they went back to work trying to get as many processes starting as they could before they ran out of time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Violet waited anxiously at SEB’s entrance, having brought the tub of gifts down and set them up on a table on the other side of security so she could hand them to the kids once they came through the metal detectors before Greg and Tammy and their kids came in and Violet put on a bright, welcoming smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well hello guys! Welcome to SEB Industries. I’m Miss Violet Parr, acting head of security. And I’ll need all of you to come through the metal detector and then I just have some really quick paperwork for you.” Violet said sweetly as Greg’s little boy Alex, who was 4 smiled brightly at her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi!” He greeted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello, what’s your name Handsome?” Violet cooed as she turned to him from the other side of security. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alex!” He greeted., </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well come on through Alex,” Violet invited as she waived him through before his parents followed him through security as Violet got their paperwork in order. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, so in exchange for the cameras to be turned off so we’re not in a complete fish bowl, I need both of you to sign these. And while you’re reading these over and signing them. I have these for Evan, Alex and even Kaely, I didn’t know if they would be jealous that you guys got to sign paperwork and they didn’t. So I wrote up something they could “sign” too.” Violet informed them as she showed Greg and Tammy the “contracts” she had written that basically had big check marks next to the things she thought would be appropriate for each kid. Kaely’s paper just had pictures with check marks on. Which Tammy and Greg thought was super cute and agreed to let her show their kids as Evan took his “contract” and snorted a laugh but agreed and signed it while Kaely happily sat on the floor and did the same with hers, choosing to scribble on the pictures while Violet helped Alex with his. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok Alex, while your mommy and daddy are signing their paperwork, you have the most important paperwork. Let me read it to you. Objective number 1, so think of this like your mission, should you choose to accept it- is you will have fun while you’re here. Do you agree?” She posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Alex eagerly answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awesome, so put a check mark right here.” Violet directed as she handed him a pen which he happily did. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, now, objective number two, you will eat all your dinner so that you can have dessert? Which there is an awesome cake up there, it’s super yummy. Do you agree?” Violet posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Alex giggled as he checked that off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Number three, most important, there are other kids coming tonight and a limited number of toys, so that means that you have to share what’s up there and do your best to get along, do you agree?” Violet posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Alex answered as he checked that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, now all you gotta do is sign your name, which if you don’t know how to write your name, you can totally just scribble it in.” Violet reassured him before Alex scribbled excitedly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now we gotta stamp this, can you stamp it for me?” Violet asked as she handed him the “Approved” stamp and had him stamp it which he did, like five times, all over the paper before Violet could get the stamp back with a laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Super duper approved! Awesome. Ok, so now we put the stamp back and we give this to your parents so they can keep it.” Violet urged as Alex took the paper and eagerly showed his parents who had just gotten done with their own paperwork as Violet traded and made sure that they had initialed, signed and dated it before she did the same and stamped the paperwork herself quickly before she directed them to the gift table to pick up the kids’ gift bags along with the family’s gift case of chocolates to take home which the wives all eagerly took and held onto as the others came and she repeated the process, all the parents thinking it was super adorable that Violet would include the kids and be as awesome with them as she was and Greg, Keith and Scott along with their wives were happy to see this soft side of Violet and the kids were super happy about the gift bags and had already looked through them a little and had found all kinds of goodies and even the "older" kids thought it was awesome that she made theirs different than the little kids.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, is everyone here and accounted for?” Violet asked as she did a head count and double checked her paperwork to make sure she had everyone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awesome, well follow me guys,” Violet said as she led the way to the freight elevator that would be big enough for all of them before they all squeezed in and Violet hit the floors with her passkey that she had on a lanyard on her neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So how come he doesn’t have an actual floor on the elevator?” Evan asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh it’s a safety precaution. SEB is not immune to corporate espionage and the last thing we need is for Mr. Pine to be subjected to any while he’s here with us since all the projects he works on are all the intellectually property of SEB.” Violet answered politely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I thought that’s what you were here for as head of security?” Scott posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m only one person. I can’t fight off everything and everyone.” Violet shrugged before they came to the floor and Violet led the way to Buddy’s apartment and walked in to see Buddy thankfully in the kitchen, putting out the trays of appetizers on the breakfast bar like Violet had suggested. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey guys! Thanks for coming, take your shoes off, stay a while.” Buddy warmly invited as he came over and did the handshake hug thing with everyone as the kids eagerly went over to where the cake was set up to look at it in awe as they realized it was a galaxy cake as Violet simply slipped away to change out of her dress and into more casual attire before she seemed to reappear just as the adults were gathering around the breakfast bar to dig into the snacks provided before Jack came out of Buddy’s lab and into the apartment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well hi.” Greg greeted Jack as he looked from Jack to Buddy curiously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi,” Jack replied before he soon took refuge next to his sister. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this your son?” Greg asked Violet but he was struck by how ginger Jack was, almost like he could be Violet and Buddy's son if they ever got to have kids. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I’m her little brother, Jack, nice to meet you.” Jack immediately countered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My parents are out of town for the weekend so I’m staying with Violet and Barret agreed to help me with a school project.” Jack informed them casually as all the adults blinked in surprise as they looked from Jack to Buddy excitedly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s the school project about?” Tammy, Greg’s wife asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Radio waves.” Jack answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, cool, well if there was anyone to help you with that, it would be Bud, or uh, <em>Barret</em>, rather.” Tammy nodded as she looked at him and tried to think of where she had seen him before Tammy’s son Evan came around his mom to grab another handful of snacks himself, mostly a handful of blueberries and another chocolate covered strawberry. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! I know you! You play at Millwood Park a lot.” Evan noted to Jack.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Jack beamed in excitement because low and behold, he had a friend at this shindig after all before he happily left Violet’s side to go over to Evan before the two went back with the rest of the kids to play among themselves in Buddy’s living room while Jack happily got to have his own gift bag from among the extras. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow Bud you really went all out.” Beth, Keith’s wife noted as she appreciated the spread. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually, this is all Violet’s doing. Jack and I went down a rabbit hole for his school project so Violet is the one that put this all together. Didn't she do a great job?” Buddy proudly answered as he marveled at these snack trays and happily started putting a little bit of everything together and marveling at the amazing quality of it all, being immensely proud of Violet for putting all this together and saving his bacon to speak. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Almost like a real couple should</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I wouldn’t have done half as good if you hadn’t left a pretty good plan to follow, I just followed your ‘to-do’ list that had all the instructions on what and when to start all the elements. It was a piece of cake because of that.” Violet returned with a little shrug but her pleased grin shamed the sun at the praise, being ever so happy he pleased with it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well now that you mention it, yes it’s obvious you did it because there’s no way he would have thought to include flower arrangements or half of these snack trays and look at that cake and those cupcakes, and this wine selection is flawless, I mean come on, all this does scream<em> feminine touch</em>.” Lisa praised as she gestured to everything as she even noticed Buddy’s table was set up beautifully too before they dissolved into idle chit chat before the oven beeped which signaled that dinner was ready before all the adults got a place around the table and all the kids got to sit around a second table that Violet had set up for them, complete with galaxy paper plates and napkins and cups as all the adults seemed to grab a dish and put it on the table before Buddy said grace and all the mothers got their kid’s plates ready and squared away before all the adults dug into what was left and even Buddy was pleasantly surprised to see Violet’s added dish and thought it complemented the meal perfectly and he was ever so grateful that Violet had just picked up where he left off so he could do the same for her and they had done it flawlessly together and with him sitting at the head of the table and her sitting to his immediate right, he was all too pleased about this and thought she fit in flawlessly, if anything she was the integral part to all of this and with the way they were kind of smooshed around the table, his knee was happy to rest against hers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, where are you from Violet?” Beth asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, well my parents are originally from here but then they moved around a lot when I was little but when I was 14 we settled here back here in Metroville and my family has been here ever since.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, so you’re just a hometown girl who’s made it big then?” Beth surmised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yeah, I guess you could say that.” Violet mused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where did you go to college at? I mean I assume you’ve been to collage if you’re head of security.” Beth furthered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually I didn’t go to collage, although I did have internships.” Violet said simply. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh that’s nice, how did you manage that was the application process hard?” Beth guessed as all the guys looked a little worriedly from Violet to Buddy who looked tense who kept looking from them to Violet to gauge her reactions at being poked and prodded.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was really a case of who I knew and developing the right skill set.” Violet tried to explain delicately. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But what about you guys, since you brought up college, where did you go?” Violet returned, trying to keep the focus off of herself which Buddy and Violet were grateful for which worked for a little while before the conversation came right back around to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then when they learned that Violet was "single" then </span>
  <span>all the girls seemed to try to make Buddy out to be this <em>amazing catch</em> of a guy. Which Violet thought was adorable because Buddy was getting a little flustered by it but when her hand went under the table to gently squeeze his knee, that had him relax a little and then to hold his hand under the table had him relaxing even more and taking it all in stride. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then once dinner was eaten and the cake was cut and all the kids eagerly taking a cupcake before Violet put on a movie for them, the adults happily cleared the table and moved the snack trays to the table so they could sit and continue to snack as Violet opened Buddy’s case of chocolates to enjoy with them as Buddy eagerly and happily went through the case of chocolates to find his favorites as his friends gently poked and prodded Violet some more to try to get to know her better which was an easier feat with Violet happily drinking her favorite wine and with Buddy’s hand and hers both seemed to be drawn together under the table and before Violet knew it she was happily holding his hand under the table since they were still kitty corner to each other as they ate and drank happily with their free hand and Buddy was so unbelievably proud of Violet for <em>staying Violet</em> and it really was- for a few blissful hours- just a group of adults hanging out for a dinner. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t until after the second movie that Violet put on for the kids, that the group heard the tell tail signs of little ones snoring as they had all snuggled up together on the couch with a couch throw over them and had fallen asleep since it was now almost midnight. But the adults had had too much fun just talking and catching up and getting to know each other better and Violet was very happy when all the women invited her and Jack to their kid's birthday parties and slumber parties and even to out to brunch and stuff which Violet was thrilled to have because she didn't really have any close friends besides other Supers and Tammy, Lisa and Beth were really fun actually as Buddy was grateful that they had eagerly accepted her into the fold. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think it’s time we better go.” Beth encouraged them before they all murmured their agreement and Violet happily, yet sleepily let them out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please be gentle with him. Tali did a number on him when she left him, granted he’s changed quite a bit since then, but still. To see how you are with Phillip in the tabloids, I’m worried about how messy that could get.” Beth murmured to Violet as Violet carried Beth’s daughter Riley out to their van while Beth carried her newborn, Roman on her chest, covered in a thick baby blanket. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m aware,” Violet nodded in understanding. “And I’ll do my best to do what I can.” Violet reassured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you Vi.” Beth thanked her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time Violet got back into Buddy’s apartment and to see Jack still zonked out on the couch, she wanted nothing more than to just crash as Buddy was loading up the dishwasher and setting the pots and pans to soak in the sink overnight and noticed Violet was beyond tired herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t you stay?” Buddy finally spoke up which caused Violet to turn her head to consider him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, no uh, I really should get home.” Violet tried to refuse even though the thought of just crashing in Buddy’s bed sounded particularly fantastic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Vi, it’s late and you’ve been drinking, please, I’ll move Jack to my bed and you can sleep in it with him and I’ll take the couch. I don’t want you to chance you driving like this.” Buddy gently argued, even though Violet was far from drunk or even tipsy. He was more worried about her driving exhausted more than sober. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok fine.” Violet easily caved before Buddy washed his hands from handling the dirty dishes and then happily came over and picked Jack up and carried him to his own room as Violet happily got her own bag and realized she had actually packed it for staying over which she thought was interesting that she had either consciously or subconsciously done that before she went into Buddy’s bathroom to wash the makeup off her face and brush out her hair and braid it so it wouldn’t tangle before Buddy simply knocked on the bathroom door and when Violet had opened it, he was holding an old tshirt and held it out to her so she had something to sleep in which Violet happily took, even though she technically brought pajamas, she readily accepted his offering, preferring his super soft, oversized shirt. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you Barret.” Violet cooed tiredly as she took and when she emerged, she noticed that Jack had already been tucked into the bed and a set of Buddy’s spare set of bedding had been taken out of his closet and when she had peaked into the living room Buddy was taking the pull out bed from his couch and setting up the bed and she was able to walk up behind him and hug him from behind and nuzzled his back with her face, letting his scent settle deep into her lungs and happily welcomed the comfort it brought which gave Buddy pause as he simply hugged her arms in turn. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome.” Buddy returned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodnight Barret.” Violet murmured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good night Vi.” Buddy replied before he felt her pull away and retreat as he looked over his shoulder to see her go and blushed when he noticed she wasn’t wearing pajama pants or shorts or anything and took a moment to appreciate her amazing legs even though she was drowning in his shirt- just enough to be super adorable before she disappeared down the hallway to his bedroom before he finished making the bed and just as he was about to get into it , he heard a beeping sound in his lab which woke him up fully and got him to go into the lab to see what processes had finished before he once again happily plunged himself down the rabbit hole. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An hour and a half later, Violet woke up, having to go to the bathroom and decided to check up on Buddy before she noticed that the lights were still on and his bed was untouched which made her frown before she went around the apartment and turned the lights off before she opened the door to the lab to see Buddy still working on stuff. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Barret?” Violet called out sleepily which got him to jump before he turned to her and was relieved it was only her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, you should be in bed.” Buddy softly encouraged her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So should you,” Violet returned as she walked up to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, I got caught up in…” Buddy gestured to what was in front of him which got Violet to hum and nod sleepily before she straddled his lap in his chair before she laid down on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got two minutes to set things to process overnight, then you’re getting in bed.” Violet warned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But…” Buddy tried to argue but once Violet lifted her head and fixed him with <em>a look</em>, that even though she was beyond tired, still conveyed the seriousness of her request. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do it or I will use my secret weapon on you.” Violet threatened and Buddy was both scared yet intrigued to see what exactly she would do before he simply reached around her and did as she asked before she let her head rest on his shoulder once again and for the last fourth minute it took him to get everything squared away, his heart was hammering, wondering if she was noticing it was taking longer than she told him to take and once he was done, he blew out a breath of relief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, I’m done.” Buddy informed her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good, come on, bed.” Violet insisted and got up but pulled him after her and got the lights to the lab on her way out before she led him to the pull out bed and practically pushed him into the bed before she got into the bed with him and pulled his head to rest in her chest as he readily gathered her into his arms and when she started petting his head , her fingertips lazily scratching his scalp as her other hand softly and comfortingly smoothed over his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this your secret weapon?” Buddy asked, his words muffled by his own t-shirt she was wearing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yup, works on babies and grown men alike.” Violet answered, refusing to open her eyes and smiled softly in the darkness when he felt her relax and in 5 minutes flat, he was out like a light as she stopped her motions and simply wriggled down so she could cuddle with his chest and go to sleep herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But that wasn’t until Violet heard Buddy murmur something in his sleep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm?” Violet hummed in question. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you Violet.” Buddy answered, even though he was completely asleep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you too Barret.” Violet murmured back, a pleased, but happy smile on her face as she fell asleep in his arms.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Big leaps of faith, big catches.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. IOU</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Violet takes out two IOU's.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chapter 10</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet woke up to the feeling of the cameras and sensors cycling on and it made her eyes snap open and inhale sharply as she ducked under the covers before they could spot her as she hoped and prayed that it was still too dark to be seen on them but it woke Buddy up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? What?” Buddy asked when he felt her jerk within his embrace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The cameras, they’re cycling on, I need to get out of this bed and back into the other one with Jack.” Violet whispered as she clung to his body, hoping that her own wouldn’t be easily seen on the cameras.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, ok,” Buddy answered as he peeked down into the covers to see her start to turn invisible before he could clearly see his shirt and a pair of underwear. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit, I’m not wearing anything that will vanish with me.” Violet realized as she noticed the same thing and reappeared. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Violet breathed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So...what do you want to do?” Buddy whispered back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hang on, give me a second.” Violet urged as she tried to steady her racing heart and labored breathing as she focused on what cameras were cycling on, like a wave through the apartment as she tried to find the rhythm of the cycle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, they’re on a wave pattern, they’re about to run over us again, here in a moment, once they pass, I can make a run for it, but I have to do so naked, otherwise they’ll see me.” Violet realized before she froze and held her breath when she felt the cameras pan over them before she finally breathed when it passed before she quickly squirmed to take her underwear off and the shirt and Buddy couldn’t help it, he got hard enough to drill through concrete. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, when I say when, roll over to your other side and take me with you and then drop me so I’ll be able to get to the floor.” Violet urged him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok.” Buddy agreed and prayed she wouldn’t notice his bodily reaction to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, in three, two one. Go!” Violet coached as he did as she asked and it felt glorious to feel all of her on him like that, even if it was only for a moment and once he let go, she dropped to the floor on her butt before he heard her scuffle on the floor before her feet slapped against the floors in an effort to get away to his bedroom’s bathroom before the next cycle started as she quickly put on her own pajamas inside the bathroom then pretended to leisurely get out of the bathroom and get back in bed and try to get some more sleep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Buddy had rolled back over and found her underwear and had it tightly in his fist before he ducked under the covers just in case the cameras were watching and he couldn’t help himself, he had sniffed it and was silently jerking off because he was leaking precum like a river and he did all he could to do so quickly and quietly as his brain churned out several fantasies all at once because to feel Violet press her body against his was heaven and he wanted and needed more and way faster than he was anticipating, he came in a shuddering breath into his own tshirt that she had been wearing so he wouldn’t make a mess out of his bedding and he expected that once he had pleasured himself, that that would have been the end of it. But <em>no</em>. His imagination was sparking into overdrive into a lust filled haze. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Violet was laying in bed feeling her cheeks flush in the darkness. She had felt Buddy’s erection and it had taken all of her self control not to burn all the cameras and listening devices so she could stay and enjoy it because he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>packing</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not the </span>
  <em>
    <span>longest</span>
  </em>
  <span> erection she had ever felt. But definitely the fattest and thickest. His stocky build hadn’t skipped where it really counted. And now she needed to go back to the bathroom because she had a “device” in her toiletries bag that was calling her name as she slipped out of the bed and stole away into the bathroom before she got her prize and slipped it into her underwear and against her clit and got one of Buddy’s towels and wrapped it around her waist to insulate herself from the lid of the toilet seat as she sat down and turned it on and eagerly began to ride her toy on the toilet seat cover as she wished she could be riding Buddy instead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tali had told her, a few times, how Buddy was if anything- a very generous, thoughtful, if not determined lover and had zeroed in- in quick succession all her erogenous zones and after a few sessions, would know just what and how to bring her to her knees in bliss and had simply said he was ‘well endowed’ and knew what to do with what the gods had gifted him with and how he had the range to go from soft and sweet and romantic to bone rattling, star gazing, burning in blissful lust with just a word and how even though he was always a commanding and dominating presence, he didn’t mind getting dominated every once in a while and often let her do as she pleased with him and had no problem submitting to her one moment or dominating her in the next. At the time Violet had been grossed out to learn any of that, but they were sharing a few bottles of wine as Tali had been nursing Luca in her penthouse at Sky Way. Having Tali so close was the only reason Violet had for staying there as much as she did and would be the only bad thing about leaving there. Violet had been lying when she told Phillip that she only knew her as Mirage. Her and Tali had become even closer since Violet moved in a year ago and it was on her Fridays that Violet took her order from Merry Cherry straight to Tali’s penthouse so they could talk, drink and rant to each other about the week. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But right this instant, Violet was so focused on fantasizing Buddy underneath her with his thick meaty hands on her hips, gripping them with almost a bruising grip and letting her ride him with reckless abandon as he pledged his undying, unwavering and infinite love and fidelity to her and only her and how he would never compare her to Tali as long as she never did the same with him and Phillip. And how he would feast <em>on her</em> while making a feast <em>for her</em> and would hopefully eat her out right because while Phillip had a decent dick game, his oral or finger game was lackluster at best and according to Tali- that’s where Buddy excelled because Buddy never really had to rely on his looks or any powers to deliver- and just had to learn and master it the old fashion way- through practice and persistence in his own efforts to overcompensate for his own- what he felt, was his deficits in his natural looks and charm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet finally came in a silent scream as her hips stuttered as she ground down onto her toy as she rode out her own orgasm before she turned it off to keep herself from being overstimulated. Then she removed it from herself and put it back into her toiletries bag before she slipped back into bed and managed to fall asleep and finally get the rest of her beauty sleep right about the same time Buddy had gotten to his third and final orgasm before he finally fell back asleep himself, although that was hard considering, he didn’t have someone to hold onto anymore, after several years of not having someone to sleep next to, he had almost forgotten how wonderful that felt and how grounding and comforting it was and instead he found himself hugging the pillow she had been sleeping on to mimic the feeling of having her in his arms again, it was a sorry excuse for her but it was better than nothing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was 10am by the time they all seemed to wake up for the day and staggered to the kitchen before they all seemed to try to make breakfast together before they all gravitated to the breakfast bar as Violet contemplated the previous evening’s events as Buddy did his best to act as natural as possible for Jack’s sake and once they ate breakfast, they went back into the lab to see what had finished processing as Violet looked at her new suit in awe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow.” Violet breathed as she looked at it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, tell me about it.” Violet invited to Buddy as she sidled up to him and nudged him with her hip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it’s a spin off of your current suit in that it is a matrix of nano armor that should feel like fabric…” Buddy began as he got the suit out of the compositor and handed it to her as she looked it over eagerly, appreciating the softness of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But instead of having to wear the suit itself all the time, it can be shrunk down into something of a necklace, like this.” Buddy explained as he pressed a button and instantly the suit retracted into itself and all that Violet was left with- was a very beautiful necklace before she pressed on the large "stone" and the suit reappeared into her hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And the beauty of it, is if at any point- any of it gets torn- it’ll repair itself or if need be- as long as you have one mother nano, which the suit has several- it can regrow from that single mother nano, or even since you’re a handler to an asset with other security detail, lets say- you find yourself on a desert island and everyone’s clothes are torn and falling off, what you can do- is detach a piece that has a mother nano and put that fabric on someone else and a suit will form around them and conform to them and then the mother nano will multiply and divide so that they in turn can repeat that process as many times over as needed. I built it so it naturally monitors the surrounding environment and it’ll calibrate to keep you comfortable, so say you’re in the arctic and you’re only wearing this- well the suit will actually heat up on the inside layer to keep you warm without showing off that heat to any thermal indicators so you’d still be invisible. And it does come with natural sunscreen so you can wear this without worrying about getting a sunburn or anything. Or even wear this in a desert, where it’s 110 degrees and this thing will keep you cool while collecting any perspiration, filtering it and can deliver it back to you if need be. Now when this suit becomes invisible, I made sure to include- infrared, ultraviolet and all the other spectrums that humanity can sense, so that when you’re invisible, you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>invisible</span>
  </em>
  <span>- invisible. Because with your old suit, I was still able to sense where you were because of the static electricity, in this one- not anymore. Also…” Buddy began as he told her about the dozens of other features he had put into the suit including cloaking abilities so that she could wear the suit and it could look like everyday clothes and then press a button and transform into the suit or vanish which was also voice activated which Violet thought was amazing and eagerly went into the bathroom to try the suit on and was surprised it covered her head and made her hair into a natural ponytail which she appreciated before she noticed that her hair became like three- not quite tentacles but not quite hands either, but simply like tools that she found she could control with her mind as she practiced reaching and grabbing things and bringing them back to herself, like rolls of toilet paper before she practiced putting things back before she left the lab. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So? What do you think?” Buddy asked hopefully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m in love with it, these were a really smart idea, so I don’t have to use my powers to do the yo-yo thing.” Violet praised as Jack came over and checked out her suit, pocking and prodding it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How far will the artificial arms stretch out?” Jack asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anywhere from a few feet to about fifty.” Buddy estimated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I asked him to give your suit some medical aspects too, so like if you ever get injured, the suit will be able to tell and be able to dress and stabilize the wound, it’ll even replicate artificial skin like say if you got a bullet wound. Each mother nano has a medical nano piggy backing it so it will again, help whoever else you have to share the suit with.” Jack explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, that’s very sweet and thoughtful of you Jack.” Violet cooed appreciatively. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And obviously because you hate heels, I made it flat footed and comfortable so it will feel like you’re wearing sneakers and it should grip really well so you don't slip on anything.” Buddy added. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did notice that, thank you.” Violet returned appreciatively as she moved her weight from one foot to the other to appreciate the comfortable soles the suit had. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And it has a water feature, a few actually.” Jack eagerly informed Violet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Water features?” Violet frowned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you can breathe underwater.” Jack answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, sweet.” Violet blinked in surprise with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And then, when you’re sneaking into a place that has weight sensors in the floor, you can use...which button is it Barret?” Jack asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh for that, you press this and this at the same time.” Buddy explained as he pointed to the buttons on the inside of her forearms before Violet pressed them and immediately felt like she was in a pool as she lifted in the air and started giggling then laughing when she could “swim” around the lab. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, new favorite features.” Violet giggled when she turned it off and walked back to them as she continued to play with her suit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So to get it to look like clothes, where can I change what I want the clothes to look like?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, here,” Buddy informed her before he brought her over to a computer as Violet began to pull up pictures of clothes from the internet and “loaded” them into the program and created short cuts in the suit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Another way you can do that is simply dress in like your favorite clothes and ask the suit to “clone” it too.” Jack informed her proudly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Is there anything this suit doesn’t do?” Violet asked rhetorically. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a good question, I built it to simply amplify your own powers and I tried to cover all the bases I could think of, considering your current situation and circumstances, which is according to my current knowledge and just building off the genius that Edna had already come up with and I did my best to stay with her styling so that if Edna ever gets to see it, she won’t be offended that you had "a man" design your suit instead of her.” Buddy shrugged because Jack had told him how outraged Edna had been when she had seen his mom’s old suit that ‘some man’ designed a decade prior. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I think she’ll be ok with this, I think your next collaboration should be with her, because I know of at least a dozen women who would pay a shit ton of money for a suit like this with all these features.” Violet appraised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, so much for it.” Violet thanked them as she hugged Jack first then hugged Buddy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what do I owe you for the suit?” Violet posed to Buddy with a smile that hinted at perhaps something licentious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t owe me anything,” Buddy shook his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh I’ll find a way to make it up to you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go check on something.” Violet said as she vanished in a flash. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Holy shit I can phase through walls now?” Violet asked as she reached the wall and was able to phase through it and stepped from one side of the wall to the other as Violet outright giggled.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome!” Jack called out, proud of himself for himself and Buddy to capture his own super power and was able to imbue it into the suit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet made her way to security before she found Nelson just getting off from the night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So anything interesting happen last night?” Pike asked as he came into the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope, nothing, Violet and Jack stayed in the bed all night, Pine took the couch like a gentleman.” Nelson answered as Violet paused and frowned and became visible and changed the suit to just a normal t-shirt and jeans just as Nelson was coming out of the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Boss, what are you doing up here?” Nelson asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, just checking on things.” Violet answered but the look Nelson gave her was telling as he smiled knowingly at her and came up to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I took care of it, </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothin’ happened</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Nelson simply whispered as he stood in front of her.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh thank God.” Violet breathed as she reached out and squeezed his arm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phil had his own fun last night- he went to the ballet and took home the star, he never checked in once.” Nelson reassured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do I owe you?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If Pine gets to escape SEB, put in a word with him so he can take me with- because I like working with him, he’s a good guy.” Nelson stated simply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will do.” Violet vowed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too! Pine is awesome.” Pike said as he poked his head out the door from the security room that held the feeds from Buddy’s floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who else?” Violet laughed as she looked from Nelson to Pike.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everyone, when we were in Vegas, Pine was a class act and obviously still continues to be, none of us have signed non-competes. So when and if Pine ever gets out of here, we’re hoping he’ll want a familiar face to have his back.” Pike answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if he can’t pay as much?” Violet posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d take a pay cut if it meant I didn’t have to deal with half the shit we’ve put up with for the last few years with Sebastian.” Nelson appraised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Same.” Pike mirrored as Violet could only nod in agreement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well for now, keep that close to your chest, wouldn’t want that to get out and suddenly you guys would either have to sign non-competes or get fired.” Violet warned them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not that anyone would ever hear anything from me about it except for Mr. Pine but more and more walls have ears these days.” Violet reassured them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Understood Boss.” Pike and Nelson nodded in understanding.                                               </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks guys for having my back. I owe you. I better get back.” Violet urged before she went back to Buddy’s lab, disappearing once she was around the corner. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Buddy and Jack had even been working on Jack’s super suit as well as Jack went through his own wardrobe so he could “change” from his clothes the previous day. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what did you guys want to do today?” Violet posed once she came back into the lab. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we just hang out today?” Jack asked hopefully as he looked from Buddy to Violet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s whatever you guys want to do, technically you guys could go home now if you wanted.” Buddy offered but grinned when Violet and Dash crinkled their noses at that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah, if you don’t mind, we could just hang out with you.” Jack opted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t mind one bit, I’d enjoy it actually.” Violet grinned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d be happy to have you, you won’t hear any argument from me.” Buddy happily agreed before the three seemed to settle in and Violet quite enjoyed just hanging out and seeing how Jack and Buddy seemed to instantly get along and befriend each other and tag team on stuff before she knew it they had come back into the apartment side as Buddy walked Jack and Violet through one of his favorite lunch recipes and Jack eagerly learned what he could from him before the three of them gravitated to the couch while their lunch baked in the oven and Violet happily cozied right up to Buddy’s side and was happy when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they watched a movie and marveled at how natural and easy this was, how it wasn’t forced like how she had to be with Phillip but she genuinely wanted to be near Buddy and how nicely they fit together and Violet was ever so grateful that Jack was not only well behaved but polite and just generally- a really great kid, as the day both seemed to fly by yet Violet got to enjoy every minute of it, which was a welcome change of pace for her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Buddy was practically tickled pink that Violet felt so comfortable with him and was just casual in her closeness and it was all his strength not to kiss her every two seconds. But he could go slow, technically, had the next few years to go slow. He had time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After dinner, they found themselves at the table, playing a card game and Jack was throttling both of them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“At least we’re not in Vegas losing money this time.” Violet comforted Buddy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just my pride.” Buddy laughed as he put a card down and Jack smiled evilly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Jack grinned as he picked up the card and put down another three of a kind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And one discard, and I’m out.” Jack announced happily as Buddy and Violet both groaned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Damn it. I needed one more ace and I could have been ok.” Violet realized as she counted up her points and whimpered when she had negative points to add to the roster. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How bad?” Jack asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Negative 45.” Violet answered as Jack put that down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Barret?” Jack prompted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hang on, uh, 45 plus 55, crap, that’s a hundred, negative 100. And I’m sorry Vi, I had your ace.” Buddy revealed as he let his overflowing hand down and poked at the ace in question. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I have….” Jack said as he counted up his cards. “A hundred and twenty five. Yes, I win.” Jack beamed as he totaled everything up, having gotten five points past the 500 points mark. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t take it hard Barret, they say those that are unlucky in cards are lucky in love.” Jack soothed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m kind of unlucky in both.” Buddy readily confessed as he finished his wine before he got up from the table to retrieve another bottle for him and Violet to share. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Unlucky </span>
  <em>
    <span>so far</span>
  </em>
  <span>- maybe your best luck is about to strike, you never know.” Jack insisted before he took another long sip of his Coke and subtly winked at Violet who crinkled her nose at him as Buddy simply grinned crookedly as he uncorked the bottle of wine then returned to the table before he refilled Violet’s glass for her and then his own as Jack reshuffled the deck and began to deal a new game for them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe.” Buddy allowed before he looked at his cards but to feel Violet’s knee gently rub against his had him not caring at all that his cards were complete shit. Honestly, just spending time with her, especially when she was happy and pleased with him was all he could hope or ask for. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After another round of cards, they went back to the couch to watch another movie and Violet and Jack both fell asleep, Jack had been laying into Violet’s side as Violet had been doing the same to Buddy and Buddy just grinned happily when they were both comfortable enough to fall asleep as Buddy happily carried Violet to his bed first then Jack as he once again got the couch and pulled out the pull out bed and set it up for himself. Happy and content with himself for showing some restraint. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Phillip finally called to check in on the situation while his current flavor of the weekend lay knocked out in his bedroom. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, so how did Ms. Parr do?” Phillip asked Pike just as Leland was coming in to relieve him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She did great and Mr. Pine behaved like a gentleman.” Pike reported. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is she still in there?” Phillip asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, however, that is only because Jack doesn’t want to leave, apparently Jack and Buddy have kind of bonded over Jack’s school project and Jack actually knew the children of Mr. Pine’s company because he got invited to other social gatherings, like birthday parties and such that Ms. Parr agreed to take him to. Also Jack played rummy with them and whipped them both.” Pike reported since they were able to piece that together with the wave of feeds that came in every so often. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh,” Phillip frowned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“However there was a development, sir.” Pike reluctantly reported. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What development?” Phillip pressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ms. Parr and Jack are both working on Dragon Eye apparently and they have brought Mr. Pine into it. So he’s now a collaborator with that project.” Pike revealed since he was able to see that when the lab had had waves of feed as Phillip marched to his computer and got into The Agency’s database and got to see what had been done and felt a flurry of emotions. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first was jealousy then hurt that Violet didn’t come to him first to discuss this with him. Also, how did Violet think that involving Jack into this dangerous case was a good idea? Let alone Mr. Pine? Then he looked closer at it and realized- it wasn’t just Violet, Mr. Pine and Jack, Edna had her own ‘fingerprints’ on this and so did half The Agency apparently. But he could tell where Jack and Edna had their own work and then Violet had hers and saw how it was Mr. Pine who put it all together and was working several angles that even surprised and if Phillip’s pride wasn’t so hurt- would have impressed him too. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take much for Phillip to realize that if he wasn’t “legitimate” and on the right side of these things- he would be treated in similar fashion only because he had similar powers which only reinforced his own belief that he could never be known that he was a Super. But he was grateful that Mr. Pine had figured out a way to protect Violet from Dragon Eye. But that also meant that while she was protected from Dragon Eye, she would be immune to him also. But Phillip felt confident that she no longer needed him to have an affect on her. That her feelings for him were strong enough and deep enough that she would still be loyal to him. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized how desperate Violet must have been feeling about this case to bring them in and he even read her notes- that Violet left on this case that she needed to make sure that he and Dragon Eye never met just in case Dragon Eye would pose a threat to not only herself, but him and anyone else too even though Phillip knew his own powers dwarfed Dragon Eye’s and it should be Dragon Eye that should be fearful of ever meeting him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sir?” Pike asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you so much for your report, keep the wave pattern up and report to me when she and Jack leave.” Phillip decided. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes sir, good night Sir.” Pike signed off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good night.” Phillip answered before he hung up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Philly?” Ainsley asked as she lifted her head from his pillow and was reaching out to see where he was in the bed before Phillip quickly logged out of The Agency’s database and went back to bed with her before he cuddled close and waited until she fell back asleep before Phillip stared up at his ceiling. All he needed was a push for Violet before he looked down at the girl laying on his chest and grinned wolfishly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was going to make Violet jealous. If he got with the beauty in his arms, that would either push Violet to get jealous, and she would have two options, admit she has feelings for him and try to break him up to get with him and finally drop her 'too dangerous to be together' act, or she could jealousy throw herself in perhaps another man’s arms to make him jealous in turn. Because if Violet- out of jealousy decided to toy with say- Mr. Pine’s emotions because it would only be a week or two before Violet would feel ‘frustrated’ sexually. And even if she vented those frustrations on him, that would only further entrap Mr. Pine. So let her get as close and cozy with Mr. Pine as she wanted to. Because he was still confident that her heart still belonged to him even if Violet didn't know it yet herself. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So close and yet so faaarrr.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Give For The Take</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Phillip reacts to events over the weekend and tries to get in front of the developments and forms a countermeasure of his own and knows it's time to renegotiate the terms. And in exchange for one hell of a give- exacts a take that Violet doesn't know if she is strong enough to give and is left scrambling to come up with a trap for the ultimate predator before it eats her and everyone she cares about alive.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chapter 11</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So were you good for Vi?” Helen asked Jack when Violet dropped him off at home on Sunday night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah! We had a great time. We got to hang out with Barret the whole time.” Jack gleefully informed her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“B..who?” Helen asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“His full name is Bartholomew Maximillian Pine, Mr. Pine, my other asset at work? We call him Barret for short.” Violet tried to honestly yet vaguely answer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, but I thought he was on house arrest at SEB for the bet he made?” Helen asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He is, so we hung out with him. He helped Jack with his school project about radio waves because the Lord knows I couldn’t.” Violet informed her mother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And he’s friends with Evan’s mom! You know Evan- he usually goes to Milham park with his little brother Alex and his little sister Kaely? Tammy has short bobbed hair cut, brown hair.” Jack tried to jog his mom’s memory. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah! Tammy. She’s really nice.” Helen recalled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I got invited to Evan’s birthday party in a couple of weeks, can I go? It’s on the 18th. They’re having it at Scene It.” Jack pleaded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could take him if you already had plans.” Violet offered as Helen looked at her calendar on her fridge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that would be nice.” Helen appraised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re supposed to be taking Jr and Dillion that weekend.” Bob said as he came over and looked at the calendar. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah who did Dash spend his weekend with anyway?” Violet asked as both of her parents just shook their heads with a defeated sigh.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who knows.” Bob grumbled as he got a beer from the fridge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So tell me about Barret, Jack.” Bob invited. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s awesome! He cooks </span>
  <em>
    <span>so good</span>
  </em>
  <span>, like Bobby Flay, like he made us all these amazing dishes from scratch and he showed me how to make a risotto, he’s a genius and an inventor and he explained radio waves to me and I should be getting an A on this project. And he’s actually really nice and </span>
  <em>
    <span>sucks</span>
  </em>
  <span> at cards. I demolished him at rummy but he was a really gracious loser and a good sportsman, he has no ego and he’s not the most handsome guy but his personality is awesome, just a really nice, easy going guy.” Jack appraised honestly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that’s why we’re friends.” Violet added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aww, that’s sweet.” Helen cooed as she got dinner ready as Bob simply nodded and retreated to the living room with his can of beer as Jack followed his dad and continued to sing Barret's praises, in an effort to get his dad to at least like the idea of Barret. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you stay for dinner Vi?” Helen asked hopefully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d love to. Here, let me help.” Violet offered as she grabbed some potatoes and started to help peel them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what’s Barret really like?” Helen asked as they stood side by side over the trashcan peeling potatoes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s <em>genuine</em>. And a gentleman. We ended up staying really late Friday because we just got caught up talking and getting to know each other, and by each other, his company and myself. Jack obviously knew Barret’s company and played nice with the other kids and it was just a nice dinner that I got to stay for and it was just...hanging out with friends. They’re just normal people. Like </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal </span>
  </em>
  <span>normal, with kids and mortgages and student loan debt. Anyway, Barret didn’t want me to drive home exhausted so he let Jack and I take his bed while he took his own couch. He was just..<em>really nice</em>. He never pushes for closeness or intimacy of any kind, he's down to earth whereas with Phil it’s just one head game after another when his head isn't crammed so far up his own ass it comes back out the other end again or when his head gets so big, it can't be contained inside Madison Square Gardens because it's a freaking blimp and his ego is as fragile as a hanging nut sack, it's a very nice and welcome change of pace. It was actually almost fun to just be casual and hang out and not watch the clock to count down the minutes until I’m free. And not having to always watch my back and watch the exits and think of exit strategies or expecting attacks every other second or worrying about doing or saying the wrong thing that’ll bite me in the ass later, like turning off for once instead of always being on you know?” Violet  answered honestly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I’m glad you had a good weekend and it sounded like you spent it with a friend. You need more of those.” Helen noted as she smiled at her daughter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, so. How was your weekend?” Violet returned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was so fun. We ended up doing a gig upstate and after we got a cabin and just got to relax after, it was great.” Helen sighed happily as Violet simply smiled, albeit a little sadly. Because she doubted she would ever get to enjoy the wedded bliss her parents enjoyed. If she lived long enough to get married that is. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just then Dash came into the house. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh good, I didn’t miss dinner.” Dash smiled happily as his stomach started to growl. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you’re gonna help eat it, you should help make it.” Violet urged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you two do it so well, I would only be in the way.” Dash excused himself as he grabbed beer from the fridge and started chugging it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look really nice by the way Violet, green is definitely your color.” Dash praised as she squeezed by them to get to the box of cookies on the counter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not giving you any more money, you still haven’t paid me back from the last three times I gave you money.” Violet immediately insisted when Dash tried hugging her from behind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who said anything about money?” Dash pretended to be appalled that Violet would insinuate that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No one, and it will not be brought up again.” Violet insisted and she could only smirk smugly when he huffed and pulled away from her sullenly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So which underwear catalog model were you with this weekend Dash?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Victoria’s Secret, with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Bianca</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Dash grinned cheekily with a click of his teeth as Violet visibly gagged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For the love of God and all that holy, please tell me you wore a condom.” Helen urged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh I think we should be asking Violet if she’s been wearing condoms when she was with Phillip in <em>Vegas</em> of all places, I’m surprised she didn’t come back married as </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mrs. Sebastian</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Dash snidely returned as he began to walk away and Violet’s eyes glowed ultraviolet for a moment as her anger started to build. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“First of all, that’s none of your business, second, that was work and well within the parameters of my contract, third, considering my track record, as opposed to yours, who has not one, but <em>two</em> children already by <em>two</em> different women? And don’t you pay enough in child support already? You really want to add a third payment?” Violet spat back.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well some of us don’t roll around in money Violet! Besides, aren’t you paying enough in rent at </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sky Way</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Dash sneered condescendingly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh for fuck’s sake, you know if you could keep it in your pants for more than five minutes, you’d be able to afford to live there too, don’t you get enough in endorsements between Nike, and all your White Lightning merch and endorsements? Just up your appearance fees or better yet, if you- you know, </span>
  <em>
    <span>invested</span>
  </em>
  <span> some of that money instead of spending it faster than you’re making it, you’d be able to live wherever you wanted to.” Violet returned defensively. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do invest it, it’s just not getting the same returns your money makes apparently.” Dash returned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my God, will you two stop it! Ugh, aren’t your kids supposed to get along once they leave home?” Helen complained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dash, just go to the living room, dinner will be ready in a bit.” Helen decided. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stuck up.” Dash muttered under his breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Leech.” Violet spat back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If he moves back in you better be charging him rent.” Violet insisted to her mother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh trust me, he’ll never move back in because I would never let him bring home another woman other than the two he's already impregnanted and when he wasn’t working, he’d be watching his own kids.” Helen reassured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And heaven forbid he not have a revolving door on his bedroom.” Violet spat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m still holding out hope that he’ll find the right girl and settle down.” Helen confessed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, somehow, I get the distinct impression that will happen to Jack before that ever happens with Dash.” Violet ventured as she took her now peeled potatoes and rinsed them off in the sink before she got a cutting board out and started cutting up the now peeled potatoes into bite sized chunks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well it just might happen with you before it could happen with Jack.” Helen teased as she bumped Violet’s hip with her own as she put her own peeled and rinsed off potatoes next to the cutting board. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Ha!</em> No.” Violet returned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well I mean Barret sounds promising.” Helen shrugged and all Violet could do was laugh even harder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, no, I sincerely doubt that’s ever going to be a possibility.” Violet shook her head no. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why not?” Helen asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, well, he has quite the storied past. Granted, he isn’t the same guy he was, say, a decade ago, but uh, there’s too much history there.” Violet hinted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like what kind of history?” Helen prodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The kind that got him...really <em>really hurt</em>. In every conceivable sense. He made some really bad decisions in early youth, youth, teens and early adulthood and granted he pays for them, just about every day. But…it’s very complicated.” Violet tried to choose her words carefully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everyone has history Violet. Doesn’t mean it has to haunt us the rest of our lives.” Helen insisted but Violet just huffed a mirthless laugh again. If that were the case, she wouldn't have such a hard time sleeping in the first place, or wake up in a cold sweat screaming her head off half the time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How old is he again?” Helen asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s 31, seven years my senior.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well that’s not <em>that big</em> of an age difference, especially once you pass your early 20’s, now if he was like 15 or even 20 years older than you, then yeah, that would be an eyebrow raiser of a difference.” Helen figured as she went into her fridge and got a wine cooler and offered Violet one who gladly took it and opened it and started drinking it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what makes it so complicated?” Helen posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, well besides the history. Just our...positions. Phillip keeps me on a short leash and it’s only because I’ve “mixed business with pleasure” that I have any breathing room now. Phillip is jealous and possessive enough that...to pursue anything with anyone while I’m still under contract is a very bad idea and too dangerous. Phillip has a way of reaching out and touching people, and not in any kind of good way. And Barret is also under contract and his contract is even longer than mine. But we are…” Violet paused as she tried to decide on the best words to use. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve grown close to being friends because we’re just...two birds, in side by side gilded cages.” Violet finally murmured lowly as she finely diced the potatoes as she realized they should boil these and make mashed potatoes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what has he done to incite you to view him like that?” Helen posed as she rinsed off some asparagus in the sink as another vegetable for dinner. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s healing me.” Violet answered honestly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like emotionally or physically?” Helen asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The latter, the former is probably impossible.” Violet specified. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like with your central cortex?” Helen posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep, he used his genius and formulated my current medication, he got me in front of the curve instead of always chasing behind it. It’s like I’m a teenager again, before any of it ever hurt and I can use my powers for hours instead of mere minutes before the pain sets in and the longer I'm on it, the better. I’m actually sleeping at night because of the sleep aids he’s made for me, granted for anyone else, they’d put them into a permanent coma but for me, they’re just right. I’ve shared them with Tali and they’re curing her too and even all the other Supers at The Agency with the same problem. Grated Phillip makes The Agency pay through the nose for theirs but for now they’re free for me and Barret is risking</span>
  <em>
    <span> everything</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get me my own protected supply that Phillip can’t touch or better yet, <em>control</em>, just in case Phillip tries to hold them over my head to keep me in line, which I wouldn’t push past him. Barret even made a suit that should protect me and everyone I protect that has features that every Super will want and every Super who is a handler will need, and he gives without any thought or want or need to be paid back. Even when he has so little, he’d give it all before ever being asked. He’s helping me with Dragon Eye, he’s...he’s an unlikely ally and an even unlikelier friend.” Violet explained as Helen’s eyebrows rose in surprise to hear of these developments. Granted, she didn’t like Phillip as far as she could punt him either. Something about Phillip put her on edge and had her own intuition telling her something was wrong with him and that he was much more dangerous than he looked but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She got the sense he was a sleezeball and Helen would have never forgiven Violet if Violet had come home from Vegas as Mrs. Sebastian. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds like a pretty awesome guy to me Vi.” Helen shrugged with a knowing grin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He is. He just...has an unfortunate past.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was he in the mob or something?” Helen guessed lowly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, no, not that I’m aware of.” Violet shook her head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is he a serial killer?” Helen teased as Violet huffed a mirthless laugh again.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Technically I’m a serial killer Mom.” Violet answered in all seriousness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no you’re not. You’re a Super, no Super has clean hands, on either side but you're on the good side. Guilty blood saves innocent blood, and it's because of that guilty blood that you've saved countless innocents which more than makes up for it.” Helen assured her daughter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even if my hands have the blood of other Supers on them?” Violet posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Helen insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not all Supers are good people, and not all Supers are heroes. You’ve gotten your hands dirty trying to keep the world safe and everyone else clean, you’ve had to make the tough decisions and the hard choices. But they were the right ones. If it was easy, everyone could do it. But you’re special and you’re one of the good guys, if not one of the best. You’re the best kind of hero, one that doesn’t need to constantly be in the spotlight and have every good deed praised by the masses, unlike others we know.” Helen reassured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I doubt you’d give Barret the same speech because his hands have just as much Super blood on them that mind do.” Violet posed with a disbelieving look as Helen was taken aback.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, now you’re scaring me. Who is Barret?” Helen asked in all seriousness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Google him, Google- Bartholomew Maximillian Pine, just don’t scream or yell when you find out and don’t tell Dad, the last thing I need is for Dad to go Papa Bear and kill him before I can get Dragon Eye off my plate.” Violet answered before Helen got her phone out of her back pocket and googled it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why does he look familiar?” Helen asked as she looked at the images of him that came up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cross reference Buddy Pine, aka Syndrome.” Violet said before Helen sharply inhaled through her nose as her eyes got impossibly wide. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See? Do you see why I didn’t want tell you? Because of this reaction right here.” Violet insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I...I thought he was in a wheelchair? After the accident with the jet turbine.” Helen finally spoke. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“He was in a wheelchair, he was in one for a few years after that accident and had to be put together and get surgery after surgery to be made somewhat whole again, it was why he didn’t go to prison after Syntech crashed and burned as did Syndrome. But Barret has assured me that Syndrome died in that jet turbine and it’s beyond clear to me that he is telling me the truth and he shows me that that's the truth by his actions that he is nothing like what he once was, except for the genius inventor thing, that never changed but everything else did, you'd barely recognize him now but hearing him talk might jog your memory. Or even Dad's especially. Barret has suffered enough from all of that and especially how Tali helped tear apart and break down the very empire she helped him build and left him with nothing where he had to start from an all new low. Not only did he barely have a dollar to his name, he was left in literal pieces that had to be sewn together and be ripped apart piece by piece in every way before he put himself back together again. It’s actually impressive how he’s managed to make it this far despite all that. And even with all that history. He’s...he’s surprisingly <em>not bitter</em> or holding any grudges, even against Tali, because he got his ass into some much needed therapy. Here, watch this with your headphones.” Violet urged as she handed her phone to her mother and had her watch the video that she had saved to her phone as Helen put her headphones in her ear and watched the video as Violet watched her mother carefully, watching how she started off wearily then gradually went from weary to understanding then sympathetic as the video progressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, you ready to take all that back?” Violet questioned when Helen finished and handed the phone back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope. Who else has seen that?” Helen asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tali, she cried when she watched it. She said that if he had been like that a decade ago, she never would have left him, or betrayed him and has asked me to help Barret and take care of him to the best of my ability, which I have happily agreed to and Barret makes it easy for me to do so. I don't do so strictly out of obligation or because it's owed or expected. I do it because I want to. Which is a first for me, especially in this job.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, it’ll take some time for everyone to come around to the idea of just you being friends. I think it should only matter what people are in the present. Obviously, he’s suffered the consequences of his actions.” Helen appraised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He has suffered, more than enough.” Violet insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then I trust your opinion of what he is now.” Helen insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” Violet posed disbelievingly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like I said, the past shouldn’t haunt us forever. And if you said Syndrome died all those years ago. And he’s a changed man, then I will trust you on that. You aren’t one to trust anyone easily. And every ounce of your trust is hard earned and if he’s earned it, and if you trusted him </span>
  <em>
    <span>enough </span>
  </em>
  <span>to let Jack hang out with him, because it's no secret he's your favorite, much less yourself, then that’s enough.” Helen insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re not pissed that I let Jack hang out with him?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You let Jack hang out with <em>Barret.</em> And Barret is a good guy. That’s all that matters.” Helen insisted before Violet quickly enveloped her mom in a tight hug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you Mom.” Violet thanked her, not realizing how much her mother's approval would mean to her or how assuring, reassuring, validating and vindicating it was to have it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome.” Helen reassured her. Ever so thankful and grateful that Violet let her in on even this much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Truth be told, Helen was resentful to The Agency for turning her daughter from a good but shy teen to a stone cold killer. When Violet had come home from a stint that took almost a year, Violet just came home and held Jack and didn’t let him go for weeks. And often took him to bed with her and cried herself to sleep holding him. Violet wouldn’t breathe a word of what really happened and what she had been doing was top secret and only the highest of higher ups even knew about it, but after that, Violet was never the same and she was fiercely protective of Jack who was only 3 at the time and she was only 17, almost 18 herself at the time as well. Thus why the two shared their current super close bond. All Helen could think of is that involved children. Maybe the target had little children that Violet left orphaned, that was the only thing that made sense to Helen and to Bob. But after that, Violet just did mission after mission, back to back to back and started earning more than her parents ever did combined. And each time she came home, less and less of herself came home with her and when Violet moved out at 18, Helen feared she would lose all contact with her, and Helen had never been more devastated when her fears proved true.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Violet was 21, she did another really, really long mission that took over a year and Helen didn’t hear from Violet that whole time and all The Agency could tell her was that she was on mission and undercover, wouldn’t say where or with who. But whatever it was, it didn’t end well. Helen and Bob had been watching the news and three major catastrophes seemed to happen at the same time, complete with natural disasters on top of political upheaval. And then they had gotten a call from Violet from a burner phone, saying that she was done. And she was disappearing for good and that she was just calling to say goodbye. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That had been the worst of it. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To beg and plead with your only daughter to just come home, where it was safe, where she would be protected. And to have that same, oh so precious daughter inform you that she would put them in too much danger if she did that. That she couldn’t protect them. She couldn’t even protect herself. And that the danger was bigger and stronger than anything they had ever known. And that if they only knew what had really happened, they would never welcome her home anyway. And that this was for the best. And it was going to be better this way. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Then silence.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span> And it didn’t matter how many times Helen and Bob went back to The Agency and rallied the troops and threatened to bring hellfire down on all of them if they didn’t give them their daughter back or at least tell them where she was. They were going to hang every last person at the agency on their own bullshit lies. No one would tell them anything, mostly because the people there didn’t know and everyone who did was unreachable and "<em>conveniently</em>" overseas and completely unreachable. Bob and herself had even officially quit and retired. And had even tried looking for her on their own but never did find her because Violet had been trained to never leave a trace. And Violet was always- successful. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t until Phillip and The Agency found her and brought her home a little over a year later that they got to see her in the flesh. And while it was a blessing having Violet back home, working a <em>‘normal’-ish</em> job that was mostly 9-5 through the week with the occasional overseas trip, it still kept her here in Metroville, and kept her close and brought her back into the fold so to speak. But the real Violet, Helen feared, never did come back. Or at least the Violet that Helen could remember or recognize.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But then, about a couple of months ago, Helen noticed she started seeing glimmers and glimpses of the real Violet again, like Violet's spirit was slowly returning to her body. She was still incredibly guarded, and secretive. But she was easing up, Helen supposed, at least smiling more, and being more accessible, at least physically, emotionally though, that was another matter entirely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Violet did take to Dash’s kids really well when she first came back. Feeling sorry and sad that she missed out on them. It wasn’t unusual for when Helen and Bob had them for the weekend- Violet would ‘drop by’ for the weekend too, with clothes and toys in tow and doted on them the way she doted on Jack when Jack was that age since Dash Jr. was three and Dillon was two and a half at the time and now Dash Jr. was four and in preschool and Dillon was now three and she got along remarkably well with Ashley, Dash Jr's mom who was Dash's high school sweetheart, and Amy, Dillon's mom, Dash's first college love. But Violet got a lot harder on Dash, making sure he always paid his child support and spent quality time with his kids and even chipped in financially with their mothers, making sure that Jr got into an amazing preschool and made sure that Dillon would too, and helping them as much as she reasonably could. And with Jack, she usually bought the bulk of his school clothes and fabrics and trim which she happily took him to the garment district and let him go nuts in the fabric warehouses, bringing home yards and yards of fabrics for his ‘creations’ and even paid for her parents to put on an addition to their house so Jack had his own studio to create in and was super encouraging to Jack with his interests, and often did all she could to help them out, either physically or especially financially and made sure to give them heads up on her schedules of when she was going to be in town or out of town so if they needed to, they could depend on her, or invite her to their own social things that they had going on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But right now, it was Helen’s intuition telling her that the reason she was seeing more of the real Violet, was because it was Barret of all people bringing it out in her, and for that she was grateful and it was because of that, she could learn to forgive him for the past. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Monday morning Violet came into work and was surprised to see a woman in Phillip’s office already, and it was someone she didn’t recognize as she was sitting in his lap as he showed her something on his computer as her giggle got on every nerve Violet had. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Sebastian?” Violet posed politely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Ms. Parr, good morning.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning. Do we have anything new for Mr. Pine today?” Violet asked formally, since he was obviously otherwise engaged as Violet’s glasses revealed to her exactly who was sitting in his lap and so intimately embraced in it. Another ballerina. Cheseray Wilkenson, prima dancer for Villefort Dance Company. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, actually.” Phillip said as he picked up his tablet and did a swiping motion from his own tablet to hers before her tablet got the new data and Violet froze when she saw it as she blinked in surprise from her tablet then back up to Phillip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“By the way, how is the new suit?” Phillip asked and Violet actually did well keeping the dread and fear from her eyes and her face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good, so far.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excellent. I’m happy it’s working out for you.” Phillip offered and Violet simply smiled politely in view of his ‘company’. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there a problem Ms. Parr?” Phillip baited. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no problem at all, will that be all Mr. Sebastian?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Phillip nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very well,” Violet nodded as she then went to her own office and opened her own computer case from The Agency and accessed her files before pulling up Dragon Eye and did a search for when the last time someone accessed it and her heart dropped when she saw that Phillip was the last one to look at it, <em>Saturday night</em>. After herself, Barret and Jack had been working it as she remembered the wave pattern from the cameras. She had been in the apartment side of the space most of the time where the cameras had only come on in a wave a few times but she had thought nothing of it, since it was going to be Nelson, Pike, Leland and Smith in the security booth but there was no way for Jack and Barret to know that they were on a wave pattern and it obviously happened way more frequently for them to figure out what they were up to. That’s how Phillip knew that they had made progress. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He knew.</span>
  </em>
  <span> But she was sure she’d be forced into trying to slit her own wrists if he knew that Dragon Eye was really him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She closed it out and looked more closely at what her tablet had received as she tried to see what was really there. Was this a test? A trick? A trap? Or just Phillip keeping up with her? Her gut was telling her something was off and something was wrong. She needed Tali’s advice and she called her on her phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes?” Tali answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, can you meet me for lunch today? Please?” Violet proposed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah, sure, where did you want to go?” Tali answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t care, somewhere uh, private and spider free.” Violet proposed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Luigiano’s.” Tali suggested. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yup, see you at say...11:30?” Violet proposed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, of course Dear, see you then.” Tali answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks.” Violet said before she hung up and quickly went to Barret’s floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning Ms. Parr,” Barret greeted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good morning Mr. Pine, uh, you have a few new items for your agenda this week.” Violet informed him as she couldn’t wipe the confused frown off her face or the fear from her eyes to save her life as she did a wiping motion from her tablet to his and then looked at him pointedly to make sure he actually saw what was in front of him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>Oh</em>, huh.” Barret finally murmured as he looked it over himself, and also frowned in confusion before he looked back over to Violet before they had a silent conversation with just their subtle facial expressions before he finally reached over and tapped her hand with his knuckle three times but tried to make it look like some random twitch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you don’t have any questions, I’ll leave you to it then. See you this evening Mr. Pine.” Violet formally said before she left and went back to her office before she went into her bathroom and became invisible, her clothes she had been wearing, transforming into her suit before she marched from her bathroom to Phillip’s office, only to walk in to seeing Phillip balls deep in his new ‘pet’ on his desk before she sarcastically gagged then marched straight to Barret’s floor and tapped him again, three times, in rapid succession on the shoulder when she had made it back before he ‘casually’ decided to go to the bathroom himself and once in it, he blew out a breath of relief when a forcefield suddenly enveloped them both as she reappeared before him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what’s going on?” Barret asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“<em>He knows we were working on Dragon Eye</em>. I was able to see who saw Dragon Eye last. And it was him. He saw it very late Saturday night. He’s out to exploit you even more than he already is.” Violet answered anxiously as she started pace inside the bubble of the forcefield. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah but a Super would need your powers to make them invisible too. The suit is meant to work as an extension of yourself and it takes machines that take up most rooms to turn it invisible without your powers. To put the same suit on any other Super, it’s not gonna work. And even if it did, unleashing a small army of completely invisible Supers who don’t have the same moral compass you do- <em>is dangerous</em>, like Supervillain level of dangerous. No offense.” Barret offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh none taken, I completely agree. Just having one of me is already too dangerous. I mean it would be nice for The Agency to have someone else for my kind of work but even I would have no way of seeing them.” Violet worried. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well...not...not necessarily, when you’re in the suit, when you’re invisible, if you’re wearing the hood, you could see them, you could see, in theory anything you wanted to see. If I make your suit for anyone else. There’s ways I can make them that even you can see them, all I need is to reconfigure the visor section of your suit and even reconfigure your glasses when you don’t wear the suit over your head or give you special contacts or make it so that the the nanos always recognize each other, even from a distance, even from each other’s invisibility. Like x-ray vision but I guess...not. It can be done. It’ll be tricky, but it can be done.” Barret realized as his spark was working into overdrive figuring it out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here’s my other request. While you’re doing that- make my suit EMP proof. Because one of my powers is to mimic an EMP signal, it’s one of the ways I can “burn” the cameras and listening devices and other electronics. But if you could make it so that the EMP signal, knocks out other’s invisibility but keep mine intact. But I also need a way for my own SOS signal to be EMP proof. Like I want to be a thousand feet underground in a copper mine or a lead mine and the right people would still be able to find me and rescue me.” Violet proposed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it.” Barret immediately agreed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Violet thanked him as she stopped her pacing to hug him tightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think it’s a trap.” Barret confessed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh I know it’s a trap. But at this point, I need to put my bloody feet in the water to attract the shark and I need a way to set my own trap for it and to spring it at the right time. Springing it too soon and we’ll never catch him. We need a trap of our own.” Violet answered as she just clung to him as he did the same to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But the thing is, if he knew Saturday night, at the time he checked, that was the time Pike was getting off and Leland was getting on, Nelson got Friday night and he made sure to destroy the evidence of the uh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>incident</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And all he wants is when and if you ever get to leave here alive, to take him with you.” Violet conveyed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah, that totally works, it was Nelson that got you the necklace.” Barret immediately agreed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Figures. But that leaves Pike or Leland to spill the beans. Pike was in the same boat that Nelson was in when I talked to them Saturday morning and according to everyone, everyone in the security detail is ready to follow you out of here. But I don’t know if Pike was just saying that to curry favor with me or if he was genuine. Nelson I believe is genuine. Pike and Leland, I wouldn’t put it past them to be two faced. So we’re just going to have to be extra careful from here on out and choose our steps carefully. And anyone’s loyalty who can be bought isn’t worth having.” Violet murmured to the crux of Buddy’s neck and shoulder as they just hung onto each other, Barret refusing to let go before Violet would and was perfectly content to just enjoy this, plus he couldn’t chance endangering her by engaging her romantically or at least emotionally when she had so much to lose before Violet finally reluctantly let him go. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I better get out of here, just in case I’ve been gone too long.” Violet excused herself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Violet whispered as she stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek just as she vanished and just as Barret was about to go ‘fuck it’ and reach out and really kiss her back, she was gone, phased through the walls and he even reached out and tried to feel for her but she was already gone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome.” Barret finally breathed as he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck anxiously before he sat down and actually used the bathroom as he held his head in his hands and thought of all the ways to give her what she asked for. Electronics that were EMP proof. Ways of seeing the invisible that he had worked so hard to make invisible in the first place. But at the same time, make her own SOS beacon a lighthouse among flashlights all while doing it under Phillip’s nose and off his radar, and off The Agency’s radar. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Violet came back into her office’s bathroom just in time to hear Phillip calling for her once he came into her office, “redressed” in her original clothes she had been wearing before. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes Phillip?” Violet asked as she held her lower belly, pretending to have just had a huge bowel movement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, there you are. I apologize for having company earlier and not letting you have freedom of speech in front of her.” Phillip began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Violet said simply as she took her seat behind her desk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But now that you’re here, I take it I’m free to speak to you now?” Violet posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes of course.” Phillip agreed as he took a seat on the other side of her desk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About the new suit's possible release for The Agency. I will insist that we bring Edna Mode on onboard, otherwise no Super will have anything to do with it for fear of offending her and Edna Mode is a dangerous enemy. I will take on a thousand Dragon Eyes before I piss her off and you should have the same fearful respect for her that I do, to do otherwise is to court death and social suicide in this business. Edna has been designing super-suits since supers became a phenomenon and into popularity for the last 40 years, every Super, hero and villain alike has <em>always</em> used Edna. She is one of a kind and she’s neutral. This will feel like a betrayal and it will feel like we’re “stealing” this from her. And if The Agency pushes this on their Supers, that will mean that the only Supers to use her will be villains and that’s a recipe for disaster. Also my suit that Mr. Pine designed, was designed with me specifically in mind, specifically for dealing with Dragon Eye. The suit's capabilities will not be available should anyone else try to put it on. So unless you plan on cloning me, which I will never agree to, it won’t work. However, let’s say Mr. Pine does devise a way to get other suits to mimic what mine can do. Do you really think that’s a good idea to hand over truly invisible suits to an Agency that could hold the entire world hostage? The Agency already controls every Hero practically world wide. Or worse yet, if just one suit falls into the wrong hands and gets replicated, every enemy now has a way to waltz into any building, into any place they wanted to and kill you or me or anyone else without a trace. One of me in the world is dangerous enough. Imagine ten of me, a hundred of me, <em>an army of me</em> but without my moral compass and without my ethics. There could be thousands, millions even. All invisible, all uncontrollable and pure chaos and disaster. And all of it would have your fingerprints. Can you imagine the already delicate stock market crashing and sending the whole world into a recession that we’ve never seen before? Is making a few million off of new suits for The Agency worth all your billions that you already have?” Violet posed skeptically. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, when you put it like that, no.” Phillip realized. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now I do agree that Mr. Pine’s new suit does have certain features that would be helpful for every Super that are non power specific. Instead of selling invisible suits. Sell the features that are non power specific, sell them individually and let the Supers and The Agency pick and choose and custom build their own- with of course- Edna’s approval, and Edna's control <em>if</em> she would agree on redesigning anyone’s suit. Also, Edna is used to having 100% of the profits of all super-suits and working all on her own before Jack was born. Mr. Pine made mine for free as a favor to Jack and myself because he’s a good person and because we asked nicely. Well, begged and pleaded because Jack and I are desperate to get Dragon Eye because he’s been on my roster for forever but because of his own powers, no other Super but me will touch him and I would prefer to keep it that way. Dragon Eye has the ability to make people commit suicide, imagine his own army equipped with my suit. Me and every single Super at the Agency would be in danger, including you because you have clearance at The Agency, you’d be just as big of a target that I am. Do you really want to risk it?” Violet posed skeptically as she leaned back into her chair and folded her arms over her chest and crossed her legs and fixed him with a look. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Phillip decided. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then change this in the roster.” Violet said as she handed him her tablet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Also you do realize that he would have to go to The Agency and to Edna Mode’s house to work on those super suits and every moment he’s off doing that- he won’t be here working on SEB stuff so his own output for SEB will wane to a degree as will his focus since it will be divided too. However it will prove fruitful in the long run because you’ll have an in with every other Super and you’ll be even father on The Agency’s good side and an even closer bedfellow and the chances of getting premium contracts will grow. It’s just a matter of do you want the money that would usually go straight to your pocket to change hands a few times before it does?” Violet posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think it's worth it for any profits made with any endeavor with The Agency to change hands and have a chance to multiply before it comes back to me will be sizable.” Phillip answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fair. But know that you will only have a limited time for that to occur. Because once Mr. Pine is no longer under contract with you, he’ll have his own in with The Agency because of this. He used to be the most powerful and influential non Super before his fall from grace and you effectively took his place. Once he leaves, he may want a bigger piece of their pie. Be prepared to share.” Violet warned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well there’s a lot of time between now and then, and accidents happen, besides you’re his heir apparent, I wouldn’t mind sharing all the pie you wanted with you.” Phillip offered and all Violet could do was huff a laugh and grin crookedly as she just shook her head. Violet would sooner slit his throat before she would slit Barret’s as Phillip mistook the roguish curve of her grin as her delight at the prospect which only made him happy that Violet was still on the ‘murder’ side of things as far as Mr. Pine was concerned. Which meant that if she did get closer to Mr. Pine, it would be purely to undo him and further devastate him in the end. Which meant he could fully trust her with him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Also, I noticed that you loosened up the safety protocols for Mr. Pine’s outings. Why?” Violet asked since she had him right there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, it was a Raid Day thing. I thought you’d feel better knowing he wasn’t “crawling with spiders” too, besides, I completely trust you with him and I know your specialties, the less “evidence” of any kind of friendly relationship, the less can be used against you, in the case you have to do the deed. However, if you are seen by his friends being with him all the time and getting cozy, that will place you well outside the realm of suspicion to them. Especially since you have more than one connection to them.” Phillip answered and Violet realized Phillip’s trap. He was trying to trap Barret, using herself as bait. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok. Well thank you, that’s very sweet and thoughtful of you, I really appreciate it.” Violet thanked him before a thought occurred to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“By any chance, is that why you are hanging onto Miss Cheseray Wilkinson for longer than a weekend? Because if you’re “engaged” with her, that may seem to appear to free me up to get “cozy” with Mr. Pine?” Violet asked as she uncrossed her arms and simply let her arms rest on the armrests of her chair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You always were so clever Violet.” Phillip beamed proudly as Violet simply leaned forward on her elbows of her desk as Phillip did the same. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God you’re despicable.” Violet praised, despite her grin, she wanted to throw up when he leaned across the desk and kissed her. But she swallowed it down, along with her disgust for him. Barret’s life and survival hung in the balance, she needed to protect him. The money- she could care less about, she had more than enough just from The Agency, any money from Phillip was always extra. But for Barret's sake, it would be worth it. But for now, she needed to get Phillip right where she needed him and keep herself above suspicion in order to keep her own head from rolling. She couldn’t protect Barret, let alone anyone else if she was dead. And Phillip still held the power to pull the trigger so to speak. She still needed to finesse the gun from his grasp. And she still needed to figure out a proper trap for him too. One that he would be willing to release Barret from his if it meant his own freedom, much less his own life to be exchanged.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well Mr. Pine and myself are barely now only friends, for anything romantic is to happen, it is going to take some serious time and some very convincing measures and greater freedoms for both of us and he will not only have to be enticed, but feel free to pursue without the fear of any backlash or danger of any kind. And I’ll need it in my contract that no retaliation or counter measures will be taken for any romantic entanglements for </span>
  <em>
    <span>either of us</span>
  </em>
  <span> because his fear of you may always outweigh any desire he has for me and it is that fear that keeps him in line and behaving for us so we need to balance it. And of course the occasional, if not quite frequent unsupervised time spent while in contract would be most helpful and if any of my enemies become his by association, I can’t be held responsible for that. But at the same time, if anyone is going to take him out, it will be me and me alone that will do it. No one else is to ever interfere and whether he lives or dies, will be a matter that me and only me will ever decide one way or another and who knows, he may prove to be useful to me for many years to come, decades probably, why should we prune a bush just as it begins to flower? Why not let it bloom it’s heart out and enjoy it’s fruits for the long run? Granted you get to enjoy the fruits of his labor for the next two years. I would hate to kill the golden goose before it gets a chance to lay it’s best golden eggs a few years from now? Because while I will inherit everything he has, why not let that bush flower and fruit to its absolute fullest and ripest before it’s harvested?” Violet specified with a flourish of her hands.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh of course. I absolutely agree with you on that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But again, all of that will take time. Are you patient enough for all of that?” Violet posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh don’t worry about me. I won’t grow bored if that’s what you’re worried about. Cheseray will do quite nicely as a good distraction.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well if that distraction ever gets serious, I wouldn't hold that against you Phillip.” Violet cooed, because honestly, Cheseray and the rest of her dance company could take their turns with him, she didn’t give a fuck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you.” Phillip reassured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, if my hands are going to be full with Mr. Pine for the foreseeable future. I may need help with the position of your handler. And I fear for bigger trips like the ones to Tokyo and Hong Kong and the like, you're going to need an official handler since I’m going to be Mr. Pine’s for those engagements and well every engagement and outing from now on, because closeness does breed fondness after all.” Violet proposed and subtly consciously nodded which got Phillip to nod subconsciously as well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, consider this your reassignment to him then. I believe I can enlist others to stand in for your post for the time being while you are otherwise engaged.” Phillip offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you like me to arrange for that or did you have someone in mind?” Violet posed curiously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh I have a few in mind. I’ll take care of it myself. Your hands are already so full from handling Mr. Pine for me. I couldn’t possibly ask for you to find your stand in too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well if I may make a suggestion?” Violet offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh I’m all ears.” Phillip grinned giddily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t get Veronica Andrews. She’s a little too strictly business for your tastes and you will lose ground with her for the same things that gained ground with me. May I suggest perhaps a man, who is perhaps, familiar, accepting and incredibly accommodating for all of your needs who will use the same foresight and thoughtfulness I possess and will pleasantly surprise you?” Violet offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Oh do go on.” Phillip urged her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He has a bit of a wild reputation and may have been in a scandal or two himself. But, he should be a good fit for you. His name is Leopold Traeger. Also known as Mysterio.” Violet recommended. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really? Mysterio?” Phillip posed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Most think he’s just a second rate Super, but those in the know- know differently. He’ll be perfect for what you need him for.” Violet cooed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then I will take your recommendation.” Phillip grinned which got Violet to smile victoriously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a lunch date with Mirage. I’ll need all the insights and tidbits I can possibly harvest from her.” Violet excused herself as she got up and smoothed out her skirt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh of course, please do send her my best.” Phillip offered as he mirrored her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One last kiss then, besides, I would hate to be the reason you and Cheseray were to ever have a disagreement, let alone an argument or for her to feel any kind of jealousy towards me or feel threatened by me and our closeness. I can’t go ruining your relationships can I?” Violet cooed as she gave him one last kiss. Kissing the last of any emotional attachment with him goodbye with it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodbye Phillip, or should I say, Mr. Sebastian?” Violet slipped back into her handler voice as she sauntered away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodbye Ms. Parr.” Phillip called after her wistfully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet went to Luigiano’s for lunch early and happily realized that Tali had already made a reservation under Octavia for a private booth. The restaurant was owned by The Seven Kings Mafia, so there was absolutely no cameras or listening devices and there were completely enclosed private booths in one of the private dining rooms that were bulletproof and sound proof and if you needed to discuss any kind of business, Luigiano’s is where you went. Plus they had one of Metroville’s best wine selections and the family that worked in the kitchens turned out some of the best Italian food in the area that was on par with any Italian grandmother's cooking mostly because the kitchen was full of real grandmothers from all over Italy that were brought over by the seven families that made up the Seven Kings of the Seven King's Mafia and you had to be an important somebody to even be on the list of guests allowed to make reservations and thankfully both Violet and Natalia were on that list. Violet sat down and ordered her favorite wine and some antipastos before Natalia came a few moments later, turning heads like she always did, because even after being a mother of two, her figure had morphed from slim and trim to dangerously curvy and Natalia was still a head turner wherever she went, wearing one of her more couture outfits and looking more like a mob boss’ wife more than anything before she was shown to her booth before her own order was taken then the doors of the booth were closed and secured as Violet and her happily dug into the antipastos that had been delivered already. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet Darling, I was surprised to get a call from you, what’s going on?” Tali asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you make of this?” Violet asked as she handed Tali her tablet as Tali took it and read through what was on it before she let it set on the table and got her glass of wine and began to drink it before she looked back down at it, holding the chilled glass of wine to her cheek as he cheeks flushed as she stared down at it as she did her best to school her features to stay composed as Violet could still see the real fear behind her gorgeous green eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s one hell of a trap.” Tali noted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. It’s a trap for Mr. Pine, I’m the bait.” Violet offered before Tali shook her head no. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you have that backwards Dear. Mr. Pine is the bait, you’re the prey. This is a give. The real question is- what is Phillip taking?” Tali asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip still thinks I’ll kill Mr. Pine at my earliest convenience.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope, that’s not it. That was a term already agreed upon and understood under the previous terms. These are new terms. Which means new stakes. This is the give, <em>what is the take?</em>” Tali repeated emphatically. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My sanity?” Violet guessed. “I told him about the creepy crawly spiders. He agreed to kill them for me and that Mr. Pine is like a big can of Raid to me. Phillip hasn’t killed them yet, but he put them to sleep for now.” Violet revealed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No. That’s not it. Did Phillip propose? And more importantly did you accept because this is a big “leap of faith and trust” there’s no way Phillip would take this leap, without either knowing for certain that you will catch him, or, more importantly, know for certain that his leverage against you outweighs this, it’s like gambling, and he’s the house, the house is always going to win and this is your first pay out. But there’s no way you get to leave the casino. It’s way too early and the night is way too young, again, what are the stakes, what is the take? The real take? Are you going to be Mrs. Sebastian?” Tali asked plainly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, uh, in fact he has a new squeeze in order to free me up for Mr. Pine.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well it’s clear he’s “loaning you out” like a pimp trading hoes or an exhibit at a museum. What is Phillip taking to keep you loyal to him? To keep you obedient and in line? What is more precious to you than your heart that Phillip knows you'd give up everything to keep safe?” Tali urged her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jack.” Violet breathed in horror as that realization hit her like a brick to the face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was Jack who came to SEB to redesign the suit. It’s Jack who has been working with Edna on Dragon Eye. But Jack is at home, Jack would know if there’s spiders at home or at school and Jack is so far- immune. Unless... Phillip found a way to make himself more potent. Oh God. I told Phillip he needed a new handler while I was “reassigned”. I suggested Mysterio because Mysterio would be able to give Phillip all the freedoms he wants, without too many constrictions of ethics or morals, much less codes or laws. Mysterio has had issues with drugs in the past. If Phillip gets ahold of...any number of things he’ll be too strong. Even for me. Maybe even for Jack or my parents, or anyone.” Violet realized. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I gotta go.” Violet realized as she took the tablet back and got her things together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for lunch, sorry to eat and run, I gotta…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just go.” Tali waived her off as Violet quickly walked out of the restaurant, doing everything in her power not to cry in public as panic whirled in her chest and she went straight to Jack’s school and had him come to the office while she did her best to wait patiently for him to come before Jack came into the office in confusion before he looked into the office to see Violet before his eyes got wide to see her expression. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Jack asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, uh, you have an appointment with Dr. Pine today that Mom forgot to call the school and let them know you had.” Violet offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, uh, let me go get my backpack.” Jack said as Violet went with him and ordered her secret bike to meet her at a doctor’s office where she managed to find- a Dr. Pine on staff.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” Jack whispered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip changed the stakes. We need to strategize with Barret.” Violet urged him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit.” Jack cursed under his breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was fast. We were just there for the weekend, we left Sunday afternoon, it hasn't been 24 hours since we last left. How did he change it so fast?” Jack asked in a hushed whisper as he got back to his locker and got his stuff along with work from his teacher before he followed Violet out of his school. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Read this.” Violet said as she handed Jack her tablet as she drove like the wind to the doctor’s office as she checked her phone to see where her bike was en-route to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just got done with lunch with Tali, she said that since I’m not officially engaged to Phillip, that that is the give and asked what the take is. I think because you were at SEB, that Phil plans on taking you as leverage against me. I don’t know when or how, but you need to make sure that at school and especially at home, that it’s spider free. But since I officially got reassigned, I suggested Mysterio as my replacement. Mysterio has a history with drugs, moreso with weed than coke but I wouldn’t put it past him. If Phillip gets back on coke- he’ll get too strong, even for me and I’m afraid even for you.” Violet insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yup, that tracks.” Jack nodded in agreement before she parked her car and hit a remote on her keys before an enclosed motorcycle slid it’s enclosure back as Violet quickly changed into a pant suit so she could ride the bike astride as Jack got on it with her and got the second helmet and put it on before he hung onto his sister tightly from behind her on the bike and rode with Violet back to SEB in the cloaked bike, weaving through all the traffic, like a thread through a tapestry and once in the SEB parking lot, Violet enveloped through her forcefield as she ran into the building, phasing though the walls and such to get to Barret’s lab before she got Jack safely into Barret’s bathroom before she went up to Barret and tapped his arm three times before he lifted his head and took the cue and went into the bathroom and blinked in surprise to see Jack in there before the three of them were enveloped into Violet’s forcefield. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, now what’s going on?” Barret asked before Violet repeated what had happened with Phillip and then again with Tali as both Barret and Jack had to sit on the floor as Violet sat with them as all three of them simply held their heads in their hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How do we get out of this?” Jack asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Other than in a casket.” Barret specified. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or me in a wedding dress answering to Mrs. Sebastian for the rest of my life, however long or short that may be.” Violet groaned as she raked her nails over her scalp. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait.” Jack breathed in softly as an idea bloomed in his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there a way to measure someone’s individual brain wavelengths, like a taking a stamp of a fingerprint. And is there a way we can inject, something like a dye, like the kind of dye they inject you with when you have an MRI, but it can stick to foreign wavelengths, like dusting for fingerprints, but on the brain, to see if Phillip has had his “fingerprints” on other brains. Like I know Violet’s brain is going to look like a joint passed around at a party.” Jack began which got Violet and Barret to snort a laugh at his allegory. But he had a great idea. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But if we can find actual evidence of this suicide seed. It should show up right? And even if it got removed, there might be evidence, like the water stains left behind in a flower vase. It’s worth a shot right?” Jack offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Definitely.” Barret readily agreed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And if we can make it so that once it’s found, the dye can act like nonstick spray on a pan, to keep any further ‘fingerprinting’ from happening to the brain itself but make his efforts still show up?” Violet ventured as Jack and Violet looked to Barret hopefully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In theory yeah, but it would take images and I need Phillip’s biometric data. And that’s not going to be easy to get.” Barret began. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, we’ve used Dragon Eye as our cover so far, I’d have offed myself already if Phillip knew he was really Dragon Eye. We can use that as our in. We can use the Agency and I can get you set up with passcodes and ways to use The Agency’s databases and super computers so that you can work on stuff that even Phillip can’t see and we can hide it in plain sight because anything secret or top secret or whatever Phillip always likes to poke his nose into. We can even use your cipher to code it. Make it so that IRize and your other companies can get read into it and at least they can keep a second copy of it as a back up and Jack, I hate to do this to you so but get you another back up, keep it with Edna, no one in their right mind would go after her, they’d be making an enemy with every Super world wide on both sides.” Violet mused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that works.” Jack said before Violet got a nosebleed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck, I’ve used too much of my powers today, we gotta cut this short. Jack I gotta get you back and get you off at home.” Violet realized as she grabbed some toilet paper to stuff it into her nose to stop the bleeding as Buddy noticed that the blood itself seemed to pulse in and out of invisibility within the tissue, like a cuttlefish strobing it’s lights and colors which he thought was peculiar.   </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok,” Jack readily agreed before Violet got Jack back and managed to hack into the real Dr. Pine’s medical computers to fake a note for Jack before her bike drove itself back to her secret hideout apartment before Violet took Jack home and lied to her parents about how she had made the doctor’s appointment for Jack because he was complaining of pain in his feet, since the real Dr. Pine was a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Violet returned to work as usual and went to check in with Phillip for the evening check in and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw someone with Mysterio in Phillip’s office. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>White Lightning</em>- none other than her brother, one <em>Dash Parr</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fuck. Wrong brother. It wasn’t necessarily Jack that was the take. <em>It was Dash</em>. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I will have you know, that this development and cliffhanger hit me at 3am last night just as I was trying to fall asleep (which happens to most writers), made my eyes snap wide open and scramble to type it into my phone (Google Docs are awesome because you can access them on laptop or phone) and the URGE to get out of bed and type it up at that hour was MIGHTY. But the demands of being a semi- kinda, sorta- functional adult (because I'm a wife and mother) kept me in bed. <br/>But today- I wrote like the wind to capture it all and the next few chapters will fully flesh out all these traps. and the stakes. SO GOOD. I chuckled evilly while writing it. My cats (I have three, a tabby, a calico and a turtle/brendle) and ALL of them now think I'm turning to the dark side. Which. I kind of am. Just know dear readers. It's going to be ok. Shit is gonna go down. Dumpsters will catch fire. Trains will collide, there will be blood and carnage and hurt and heartbreak and betrayal and you will be pushed to the edge of the abyss. But know- this will have a happy ending....eventually.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Dodge A Bullet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Violet has to think fast and pull out all the stops to push Dash out of the way so he can dodge the bullet that would be a contract with Phillip so that Phillip can't use him as his leverage against her. Even if she has to come off as a bitch to do it.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Why So Jaded?</p>
<p>Chapter 12</p>
<p>"What did you sign?" Violet demanded of her brother, trying to keep her rage in check as she prayed her brother wouldn't be stupid enough to sign anything without having at least one lawyer.</p>
<p>"I didn't sign anything." Dash reassured her before she blew out a breath of relief.</p>
<p>"I have a healthy enough fear of you Ms. Parr to know that if I would even entertain the possibility of hiring any relation of yours that I would have several lawyers involved." Phillip offered with a charming smile as Violet smiled politely in return but she was ready to roast Phillip on an open spit for even <em>entertaining</em> the idea of hiring Dash as Violet simply crossed her arms over her chest and popped her hip. She had to get Dash out of this building before he did something everyone would regret. She would never forgive herself if something ever happened to Dash and that burden would be too much even for her to carry. She needed to get Dash out of this building and away from Phillip before Dash came to any more harm. Because Dash probably had at least one suicide seed planted in his head, who knew how many others Phillip had already planted there with just him being in this office.</p>
<p>"A private word Mr. Sebastian." Violet urged, she needed to intervene. She would pull the overbearing, controlling bitch card if she had to if it meant her brother could walk free.</p>
<p>"Oh come on, give me a chance before you shoot me down Vi." Dash argued.</p>
<p>"Mr. Parr had quite the convincing argument as to why I should hire him along with Mr. Traeger." Phillip explained.</p>
<p>"Then I have a counter argument which you should find even more convincing." Violet insisted. She hated to do it but she needed to make Dash out as the worst possible candidate for Phillip. It would be like opening up old wounds between herself and Dash and rubbing new salt in them but it would save his life and make sure that he in turn would be alive to at least watch his own children grow up. She didn't care how she would come across or who would hate her for this, it was for his own good.</p>
<p>"Come on Vi." Dash pleaded.</p>
<p>"Dash, this is your one opportunity to get up and walk out of this here and now. This is not the time or the place for you." Violet insisted as she gave him her own pleading look while doing her best to keep in control of her emotions, praying that Dash wasn't going to push this because she knew he was too stubborn yet alone, mentally weak enough to fight against anything Phillip was pumping into his head, she needed to fix this before it became a catastrophe. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Dash because of her, the blood of other Supers was already a torment to her conscience. She couldn't have Dash's too.</p>
<p>"Well in the spirit of fairness, please, enlighten me as to why Mr. Parr wouldn't be a good fit. But don't do him the disservice of saying it behind his back." Phillip offered and Violet was never more furious for being pitted against her own brother especially by Phillip but if Phillip wanted an entertaining show, she was going to give it to him if it meant that Dash could walk away from this. She could deal with Dash being pissed at her for "ruining" his chances. But if she had to worry about not only keeping her own head and her own wits, she couldn't handle juggling Dash's too.</p>
<p>"First off, what exactly do you want to hire Mr. Parr for?" Violet asked, hoping that by some miracle, that it wouldn't be that bad. Maybe he wanted Dash as a PR man? Maybe?</p>
<p>"As an associate handler." Phillip answered and Violet was ready to curse, scream and cry because <em>of course</em> Phillip would want to keep his leverage against her as close to himself as possible.</p>
<p>"Does Mr. Parr have any handler experience?" Violet asked as she looked from Phillip to Dash pointedly.</p>
<p>"I handle myself just fine." Dash answered and Violet snorted a laugh as she pretended to pat her hips down.</p>
<p>"Are you missing something Ms. Parr?" Philip posed.</p>
<p>"Yes, Mr. Parr's microphone because he's obviously trying to do some stand up comedy." Violet answered as Leo snorted a laugh in turn as he simply sat in the chair and looked over at Violet fondly. Violet was always a special treat to be in the presence of, no matter the circumstances around their meetings.</p>
<p>"Mr. Parr, you have never, in your life, handled yourself well." Violet answered dismissively.</p>
<p>"How can you say that?" Dash demanded before Violet came over and perched herself on the corner of Phillip's desk between Phillip and her brother because there was no other chair for her to sit at at the desk and she didn't want to sit in Phillip's lap or actually bring another chair over from where the living room space of his office was.</p>
<p>"Mr. Parr, if you are even going to apply for that kind of position, for not only a fortune 500 company but for an asset worth billions who in all respects is a very high value asset, you need to have a minimum of 2-5 years experience of being a handler for other high value assets and handling yourself doesn't count you also need to have at least three to five, preferably seven, very glowing letters of recommendation and be vetted by at least two to four, maybe five individual, independent and completely objective guarantors. Do you even know how to spell guarantors?" Violet put to Dash.</p>
<p>"G-u-a…." Dash tried to think.</p>
<p>"And have a body count of at least 10." Violet interrupted.</p>
<p>"Oh I got that in the bag." Dash scoffed.</p>
<p>"Really? You've killed more than 10 people in cold blood and buried all evidence that you were the one to kill them?" Violet asked and watched as Dash's face fell as he realized that she was asking for a kill count. Not a "body count" as in had sex with at least ten people.</p>
<p>"Mr. Sebastian, go on The Agency's data base and inform Mr. Parr what my body count is." Violet invited as she scooted back onto the desk to sit more comfortably. </p>
<p>"I don't know if.." Phillip began as Leo simply raised his eyebrows and bit his lips to keep his face from splitting in half from a smile because he could sense this was about to get really ugly in the most entertaining way.</p>
<p>"Do it." Violet ordered as Phillip nodded and did as she asked.</p>
<p>"You have 3,744 confirmed kills and another 2,317 additional assumed kills," Phillip read off as both Leo and Dash's eyes got wide.</p>
<p>"So, Dash, what's your body count?" Violet repeated.</p>
<p>"Uh, well, we did kill like a dozen henchman when we stormed Syndrome's…" Dash began.</p>
<p>"No, you tipped off their flying hovercrafts so they could run into each other, how many people have you either shot, dismembered, strangled, poisoned, bombed, or just outright slaughtered?" Violet asked.</p>
<p>"Well how many have you…?" Dash asked.</p>
<p>"7,834." Violet answered.</p>
<p>"Damn." Leopold coughed like he got shot in the gut.</p>
<p>"And over a thousand of those were mid coitus." Violet grinned triumphantly.</p>
<p>"Fuck." Leo coughed again before he got his glass of water and drank it like it was whiskey, he knew Violet was lethal and one of the more dangerous Supers at The Agency, but that would put her in a league all her own as Violet seemed to appear a whole lot more sexier than she ever was in his eyes, no wonder Phillip adored her, he could see why, she was all femme fatal. </p>
<p>"You've killed, over a thousand guys, while their dicks were.." Dash paled.</p>
<p>"845 men, the remaining 347 were women." Violet smiled like 'fuck you' was written on her teeth as Dash looked downright scandalized as Leo couldn't help but whistle lowly and mutter a 'wow' under his breath.</p>
<p>"But moving on from the body count. Dash, <em>you don't fucking listen</em>. You don't listen to anyone about anything, you don't listen to your own handler or your own manager or your own coaches for crying out loud or anyone else in any position of authority. If I tell you to duck, you ask why and argue with me along with everyone else. Your immediate and unquestioning obedience to orders given, no matter who gives them, means your life in this business. Even when you don't agree with it or don't see the sense in it at the time. You had a hard enough time being obedient to Dad, let alone Mom. And your sexist bullshit has no place here because you don't listen to women especially even when those women have earned that place of authority to tell you what to do. Not to mention you're a selfish, self absorbed asshole whose ego can practically touch the moon and you need a measure of humility in this job, of which you have none. You don't know how to walk into a room and not immediately want to be in the center of attention in it." Violet leveled and even Leo had to agree with her very valid points because Violet knew what she was talking about.</p>
<p>"Dash, you are a great Super and an awesome hero and you know exactly how to play to the media to make yourself the star of the show, which you get honestly from Dad. But it's because you are those things that disqualify you from this kind of position. Because in this job, you're not the star, you're not even supposed to be on the damn camera or even in the shot. You are offscreen supporting cast only and an asterisk in the credits. You don't get any limelight and when you do, it better be pointing it Mr. Sebastian because since he's the asset, he's the star of the show, he's the focus, he's the target, he's the focal point. And if you detract from that, you're not doing your job correctly. Also if you're working for Mr. Sebastian, that means that your life as White Lightning, not to mention Dash Parr the Olympian, gets put on hold and on the last back burner. Because you'll be working as yourself which means that White Lightning has to be completely separate from this. Which means you won't be able to do any stunts or any press or any media work for yourself. Which means your own popularity will wane and the focus at The Agency will focus away from you and find someone new to push onto the masses. Someone younger, prettier, bigger and better, faster and stronger. New Supers are found and practically made- every day and that eventuality is the given, it's the rule and the expectation which is why I never bought into it. Which means, that your time in the spotlight, your own fifteen minutes of fame- should you take this position, will be over. And when you're done being in this kind of position, mounting a comeback- isn't going to happen with any measure of success, because you will just be a has been and old news and a passing fling for all your adoring fans. Also your training as an Olympian will also wane and fade. Which means you won't be an athlete anymore. At least one that won't and can't compete professionally. Which means your "real life" persona, will also fade. What brand wants to sponsor a has been? Old news? Your ego already can't handle your rival's popularity if it overshadows yours, you'll implode on your own downward spiral and fall from grace and your current media darling status." Violet warned, hoping and praying that Dash was listening to a word of this because she was pulling out every stop she could think of to make him see sense and make him see that this would not serve him well in the long run and knew that Dash held his own fame near and dear to his heart.</p>
<p>"Also, loose lips sink ships. And you can't keep a secret to save your life. For someone as selfish as you are, your own sense of self preservation is next to zero because you can't help but reveal your own secret or super identity because there's no difference between the two. I'll give you a fairly recent example. How much money, would it take for me to offer <em>Bianca</em>, the Victoria Secret model who you spent your weekend with to find out how many times you showed her your 'human vibrator' trick? A hundred dollars? A thousand dollars? Ten thousand maybe? You do it with almost every girl you sleep with. And it's the reason you can't keep a condom on that pecker of yours because you literally burn through them because you're a show-off. Because whoever you are fucking, her adoration and her being in a state of impressed is always like a drug to you because you're addicted to always being the best, no matter what you're doing. Because the only reason that Ashley and Amy get as much child support from you is because half of it is practically hush money which they abide by because you're a cash cow for them, and as long as they keep their mouths shut, they get to live comfortably and raise your kids in your absence because you can't be bothered to actually raise them half the time because if word got out that the reason you're the fastest man alive and the reason you're always a gold medal Olympian is because you're a Super, imagine the fallout. Every girl that you fuck, can put it together that you're really White Lightning. And <em>everything</em> will get taken away once that barely held secret comes out and then all your popularity, all your sponsorships on both sides, both for Dash Parr and White Lightning will be taken away and you'll go from most popular to most hated overnight because you're a <em>cheater</em> in every sense, you cheated on your high school sweetheart with your first college crush for crying out loud and your two sons by two different women are only six months apart. Do you really think that speaks of your character in any kind of good light? Mr. Sebastian has enemies in both high and low places. Enemies that pay more money than you can comprehend to find any cracks or kinks in his armor. I would give it, maybe 12 hours at the soonest, 72 at the very latest, that the moment you are even <em>rumored</em> to be involved with Mr. Sebastian that every deep dark secret you possess would be offered up to them on a silver platter by all their moles and hunters and then that very dirt is used against Mr. Sebastian and yourself or because you're a greedy, selfish, two timing, cheating motherfucker, who is to say you won't go to them yourself? And not only tell all your own secrets but tell on mine, or tell on Mom or Dad or tell on everyone you know or you're associated with, let alone Mr. Sebastian's? And you'd do it for one thing, money. Because you blow money faster than you spend it and you're drowning in debt and yet the moment you make a hundred bucks, you're spending a hundred and fifty? You've fired every money manager I've gotten you because they told you things that you didn't want to hear like 'stop buying everything in sight'. Do you really think that I, let alone Mr. Sebastian of all people are going to bend over backwards to protect you when all you are to us is a liability, when you can't even <em>perform the fucking job</em> in the first place?! You are in way over your head and you have no business in this business." Violet plainly and yet strangely, honestly appraised and didn't know if it was Phillip urging her to be honest or her own will to finally let all this air out because she had been stamping all this down since she came back.</p>
<p>"And the word on the street may be that I'm a hateful, mean, domineering and controlling bitch. But you know what? I perform my job with a margin of error that is in the fractions of a single percent and I have earned every single person's loyalty and respect on my team to the point we take bullets for each other all the time on the regular. I not only have to deal with ransom situations and assassination attempts but also deal with corporate espionage that makes just regular governmental espionage look like child's play and you wouldn't even know what any of that looks like because you'd again, hand over everything for a pretty face with a smile and short tight skirt." Violet accused evenly as Dash simply sat there and pouted like a child being told no while Leo sat there as realization hit him over the head how much sense she was making because while Dash was his bro. Violet was speaking nothing but truth and if Leo really had to be in this job himself, he didn't know if he'd be willing to have Dash's back when Dash was so clearly ill equipped to have his.</p>
<p>"And I can see it written all over your face because you have a shit poker face, that I'm just being mean right? I'm just out to ruin everything for you? That this is a personal attack on you and I've taken this all too far? Well I got news for you. I'm literally just being honest. I'm not a bossy bitch, <em>I am the big boss bitch</em>. I have dozens of others coming to me for mentorship and advice on how to do this job the right way and the most successfully viable way because I've been there and done that with everything that can happen. Because I have set the precedent and the standard. And it is the gold standard in this industry for very good and valid reasons. All that money that I make that you're so jealous of, because all this really is to you- is about the fucking money and nothing else. Guess what, I've earned and payed for every cent of it with my own blood and every drop of my enemies blood as well because Mr. Sebastian's enemies which in turn are my own by principle alone. Because that's what <em>a shield</em> does. And while on paper I'm a handler, what I really am is a shield and a deterrent and every other Super in my position, is a shield for their assets in turn and the reason Mr. Sebastian is safe is because who is left of his enemies knows that they can not strike at him without me giving a counter strike and when I strike, I hit hard and they stay down and they never get back up. I'm a hunter and I always hunt to kill and I'm always successful because my life depends on it and my life is spent serving others. And that's what's the biggest disqualifier for you, you only know how to serve yourself. You don't know how to best serve others because you've never cared enough to learn how to do it. And the reason all of this has worked so well is because I hold myself to a standard of perfection that you can't even dream of holding yourself to. I operate with surgical precision because I have to because not only does my life hang in the balance, but so does my asset, and his family and everyone he cares about and everyone who works for SEB and all of Mr. Sebastian's companies depend on me to protect the man who signs their checks and gives them their means of living along with every single person on my team and all of their families and loved ones, not to mention my own." Violet specified.</p>
<p>"Tell me Dash, how many back up plans do you have? If a swat team decides to storm this building, which has actually happened more times than I can count, and if they decide to blow out these windows again and open fire from a helicopter that is hovering just outside this office- <em>right this second</em>. What would you do? How do you protect yourself? Are you even carrying a gun or any kind of weapon or is your plan always to just 'duck' and use your powers to move faster than the bullets themselves? Do you protect yourself or do you protect Mr. Sebastian first? How do you counter attack? How do you get to safe spaces? Where are the safe spaces even located? And what happens when you get shot dead? What plans do you have in place for Dash Jr and Dillon and Ashley and Amy? So they don't raise those boys all on their own or are you going to leave it to chance and the universe to take care of them when you're not around to? Do you just get to hope and pray that whoever will marry those girls will treat their future step sons ok? Or will they be the proverbial redheaded step children who get left out in the cold? Do you even have life insurance? Who gets to bury you? And where do you want your body to be laid to rest? What kind of funeral do you want to have? You're a 'take it as it comes, I'll figure it out when I get to it' kind of person. You can not be that kind of person in this job, you need to not only have your day planned out, your week, your month, your year. But you also need to have plans, structure, protocols and contingencies in place for whatever happens and be ready to react however you need to and not always how you want to and you need to have all that memorized and your body to be ready to go into action and evasive maneuvers in the blink of an eye and do you have any idea how exhausting it is not just physically but mentally because that can happen at any moment without warning, whether you're on the clock or not. Because if you are not in complete control of every situation in every moment, accidents and chaos will happen and will always surprise you and do it's utmost to catch you with your pants down when you're not ready and recovering from the damage inflicted in those moments will take the rest of your life. However long or short that will be. You have dealt with some pressures in your life, but these pressures here, are too much for you. It will take at least a year or two or maybe three, to get you properly trained in all the disciplines you'll need to know to even attempt to hack at this job and all that time is going to cost at least seventy five to a hundred and fifty grand per year. And your value as a person and your value as a production entity, and what you produce is protection and safety- needs to outweigh your liability and your investment. And from where I sit, you're a bad fit who needs too much work to be made viable who's own liabilities are too high risk and whose value of protection will never pay out in any meaningful way. And your connection to me is a hindrance, not a help. Nepotism kills in this industry. Everyone has a 'I tried to get my nephew or my brother or someone else I know into this and they're dead now and we've had a fall out in the family since and we don't talk anymore' story. And I don't want to have one of my own, and neither should you." Violet insisted.</p>
<p>"With all due respect Mr. Sebastian, with respect to everything that Ms. Parr has brought to light. I will not be signing on if Mr. Parr does. Because I am in agreement with Ms. Parr on this 100%. Mr. Parr isn't right for this. The closest I would want Mr. Parr is just a friend and not a close one at that in light of all those liabilities, and frankly, I'm underqualified for this, the fact that Ms. Parr even mentioned my name is very high praise that I'm not worthy of and I'm frankly honored to bear witness that Ms. Parr lives up to her reputation of being the best in the business for every good reasons to the point that she is so professional that she won't let familial ties cloud her judgement." Leo formally answered Phillip who frowned. Not thinking that Leo would rather side with Violet instead of Dash, here he thought he would have it easy to have a three against one but right now it was two against one and if he wasn't so hell bent on his own objectives, he would immediately dismiss Dash. He had to find a way to make everyone happy while still serving his purpose.</p>
<p>"But..." Dash began to argue before Leo reached over and clasped his shoulder to stop him from making a fool of himself.</p>
<p>"Dash, Violet has you dead to rights, to sign on with this is signing your own death warrant and you have too much to lose if anything goes sideways and you're just plain, not cut out for it, it's not gonna work out man and it's ok, just accept it. No amount of money in the world should make you want to risk not watching your kids grow up. And you may be pissed at your sister and your pride and ego might be bruised right now but she just saved your life and you're an idiot if you don't see that. I wish I had a badass sister like you who looked out for me the way she just did for you. And she honestly did you a favor and every word out of her mouth rang true and she just gave you a priceless service of pointing out, in less than, say 20 minutes, where your weaknesses are and what you need to work on as a human being to be better. She did her job right. And she did right by you by making sure you stay out of harms way, which this job has more than it's fair share of. You can't ask anything more from her. Now, let's get out of here, I'll buy you a drink." Leo offered.</p>
<p>"Mr. Sebastian, thank you for your time, we'll be in touch and I'll give you my answer when I have a chance to think it over and sleep on it. Ms. Parr always a pleasure to see you." Leo offered as he stood and shook Phillip's hand. then Violet's hand.</p>
<p>"Mr. Traeger." Violet returned. </p>
<p>"Thanks for at least hearing me out." Dash offered to Phillip as he shook his hand but still offered Violet a dirty glare as he passed her to leave with Leo.</p>
<p>But Violet could handle Dash's hurt feelings more than his innocent blood, <em>she did it, she saved him</em>. And what's more is she at least had Leo to back her up before she swiveled in her spot on the desk and turned around and faced Phillip, ready to take on whatever bullshit he would come up with to excuse himself.</p>
<p>"You were too hard on him." Phillip offered to Violet.</p>
<p>"No. I'm the only one who can see through bullshit apparently. What is wrong with you? Did you think that just because he shares some of my blood that he'd be anything like me? How many times have I told you about how he needs reminders to pay his own child support and bills, how he can't even function as an adult. He can't even cook or take care of himself properly and how the only thing he knows how to keep clean is his shoes, his car and his super-suit. The guy buys paper plates and bowls and plastic cutlery because he can't even bring himself to actually wash his own dishes. If he can't take care of himself, how in the fuck is he supposed to take care of you? What kind of sob story did he try to ply you with?" Violet posed because she knew outright accusing him of trying to hire Dash to use as leverage against her wasn't going to work. But if she could shift the blame to Dash, it would effectively make it look like she was letting him off the hook.</p>
<p>"You're right, I'm sorry. I didn't take any of that into consideration and as always, you did bring up some very valid points, so I conceded, I will not be hiring Mr. Parr as my handler and anyone who hires him in any position where his own liabilities endanger others is foolish." Phillip cooed to sooth her anger because her rage was palpable even without his powers before her anger seemed to abate as his own spark of genius thought of ways he could get around this.</p>
<p>"Before you sign anyone else, at least run it by me. I appreciate you doing everything to keep things from off my plate, but Dash was the worst candidate for that job. Or really any job that doesn't involve his own ego and his own popularity and fame, because he is shallow, like a puddle, or maybe the Habsburg gene pool." Violet teased with a laugh as Phillip simply chuckled with her.</p>
<p>"Anyway, do we have anything new for Mr. Pine this evening?" Violet asked.</p>
<p>"Nope, nothing new, good night Ms. Parr." Phillip bid her.</p>
<p>"Goodnight." Violet grinned as she nodded and hopped off the desk and walked down to Buddy's floor.</p>
<p>"Good evening Mr. Pine." Violet greeted.</p>
<p>"Good evening Ms. Parr." Barret greeted.</p>
<p>"Any new business?" Barret asked before Violet started laughing that laugh that portrayed how close she was to losing her goddamn mind.</p>
<p>"What happened?" Barret asked.</p>
<p>"Some damn foolishness, that's for sure." Violet answered as she pulled up the feed from Phillip's office from about an hour ago on her tablet.<br/>"Not to be an imposing guest, but could I trouble you for about an hour of your time and a glass or two of wine?" Violet asked with a giddy smile because she wanted Barret to see what had happened.</p>
<p>"You're never imposing." Barret immediately reassured her as he immediately put down what he was working on as Violet happily pressed a button on her sleeve and her outfit changed into one of just a casual outfit of a nice blouse and leggings with flats as she followed him into his apartment and took a seat on his breakfast bar as Barret went through what he had before he threw together the leftovers from the weekend as an offering for her before he got up on the other barstool next to her as Violet felt cameras and listening devices power down now that she was on this side of his space before she pulled up the video for Barret to see.</p>
<p>"Who's this?" Barret asked.</p>
<p>"That's Dash, as I'm sure you've figured out, is really White Lightning and that, is Leopold Traeger, aka Mysterio, but obviously, don't tell, anyway it's Leo who I suggested to Phil because Mysterio has a decent head count and has his own fair share of scandal and cover ups who's been around the block a few times and wouldn't judge Phil for his vices and would be flexible to work the schedule and wouldn't mind the cage too badly. He's not the greatest but he'll do for now until someone awesome becomes available because obviously I've been reassigned to you." Violet murmured quietly with a happy smile before she pulled up the video as Barret opened the bottle of wine and started to pour two wine glasses full before Violet put the tablet on the counter between them as they watched Dash try to spit his best game trying to get whatever job Phillip could use him for.</p>
<p>"Desperate much?" Barret muttered with a frown.</p>
<p>"That's Phil." Violet breathed in Barret's ear.</p>
<p>"What?" Barret asked as he moved his arm to rest on the back of Violet's backrest of the stool as Violet happily cuddled into his side as she put her mouth over his ear, her other hand cupping between her lips and his ear.</p>
<p>"That's Phillip. It's not that he can read thoughts per-say, he can read emotions, and he manipulate your emotions, even if all Dash did was look at him and go 'damn I wish he was my boss so I could make as much money' he takes that and turns it up to 11. He can make anyone feel desperate, desperate for him or what he could give them. Which in this case- is money. Phillip probably made Dash feel like if he didn't get a job from Phillip today- that he would starve to death before he would get evicted tomorrow. That kind of desperate." Violet revealed into Barret's ear as he fought not to shudder in delight, having her that close to him as his fingertips curled around her arm once the inside of his forearm made contact with her back and shoulders as her warmth seeped into his soul.</p>
<p>He knew it was going to be her job to "seduce" him, thankfully slowly. But he'd be lying if he tried to deny that he hadn't already fallen for her. But he also knew, the "harder" he made it for her to get close to him, the better for her in the long run because that would buy them both time to figure stuff out with Phillip, but in these moments, it was hard not to give in because his heart was ready to turn itself into an airplane runway and start waving her in.</p>
<p>"I see." Barret nodded in understanding before they watched the rest of the video as Barret watched on in awed amazement to see Violet do her best to try to counter all of that as he thought Leo's reactions were hilarious if not incredibly appropriate as he found himself mirroring the same reactions to everything Violet said.</p>
<p>"So I take it had you not been there to intervene and interfere, Dash would have been the real take." Barret realized.</p>
<p>"Yup. Now if Phillip goes to my father to try to do the same thing to him, I'll end him. So my question would be, should that happen, do you want me to take you with- after I do?" Violet asked.</p>
<p>"Please." Barret found himself saying before he could stop himself.</p>
<p>"Awesome, well, until then and while I'm here and while the spiders are sleeping, you and I should really talk about how we're going to proceed with 'the give'. Because I feel like the moment Philip is sure that you've fallen for me, he's going to order me to undo you. And I don't want to do that, for real at least. But even if we have to play this up for the camera so to speak ,I think there's a way we can do it without hating each other's guts by the end of it. So I have an idea." Violet began.</p>
<p>"Ok," Barred prompted.</p>
<p>"I know we agreed about the Mr. Pine, Bartholomew, Buddy, Barret thing. As much as this hurts to say and I feel sick to my stomach just saying this out loud but, when the time comes for when Phillip orders for me to undo you. If I absolutely have to and have no other choice, I would prefer to undo <em>Tully</em>, <strong>not Barret</strong> and just in case you need to undo me for any reason, undo <em>Eloise</em>, <em>Ellie</em> for short, not Violet. Eloise is my real middle name and it's a nickname that very, very few people use or would even know to use and it'll be something that can also get by the sensors and it'll give Phillip something somewhat tangible for when we have to put on a show in here and that way I can "hurt you" without actually hurting you, or at least, the real you." Violet suggested and Barret was ready to kiss her because his love and adoration for her just about overpowered him.</p>
<p>"Violet and Barret, Ellie and Tully." Barret nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>"So tell me about Ellie then." Barret invited as Violet smiled happily.</p>
<p>"Well, Ellie…" Violet began giddily as she settled in and took advantage of the fact that they could talk for now without anyone overhearing them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was SO FUN. to write. But is Philllip deterred? No. Will he strike again? of course. With even more devastating results. Am I evil? Yessss. (snake tongue as I drag out that s sound)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Trade Off</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The real take of Dash comes with a trade off, her privacy and freedom for Dash's. And there is little she can do to stop it. But she's not stupid enough to not take advantage of it and if Phillip was going to give Dash enough rope to make noose to hang himself with, Violet was going to make a noose splitter and hide it in plain sight which has always been something she has excelled at.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chapter 13</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Phillip, undeterred went to Sandy, who was his own PR manager. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Phill, what can I do for you?” Sandy asked as she paused in getting her things together to go home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A really big favor.” Phillip specified. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok...what kind of favor?” Sandy asked as her gut was telling her that this wasn’t good and she should have gone home an hour ago to not be here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know Violet’s brother- Dash Parr? The gold medal Olympian?” Phillip put to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Sandy nodded slowly with a frown, wondering why Phillip would bring him up and where he was going with this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So here’s the deal.” Phillip began before he sat down at her desk before Sandy begrudgingly sat back down at her desk as well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I really want SEB to be involved with Dash Parr and his Super persona as White Lightning.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dash Parr is White Lightning?” Sandy repeated with wide eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, and you’ll protect that information with your life or you can find yourself dealing with Ms. Parr.” Phillip leveled as Sandy gulped because Violet terrified almost everyone at SEB because she just oozed dangerous and most knew she was someone not to be crossed or messed with, let alone get on her bad side because even her good and nice side was scary. Any woman who could rock her heels and not cry and get weekly full set acrylic manicures like it was no big deal and dressed to kill and who's makeup and eyeliner game alone could slay a man, was to be feared, if not awed in a fear inspiring way. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, Dash is desperate for some positive cash flow and good press and I genuinely want to help him, however, he does come with certain <em>liabilities</em> that make working with him risky but I believe he is worth the risk and the investment. And he is the media darling of The Agency and one of their more popular public heroes as White Lightning and I was wondering if you had any ideas on how we might be able to help each other?” Phillip posed as he did his best to pump inspirational and eager to please feelings into her head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, well for starters, he would need to make sure that on all social media platforms that Dash Parr and White Lightning are never in the same places at the same times, uh, SEB could always develop something that would be helpful to White Lightning’s hero work. Like a special kind of shoe or something or an energy drink for White Lightning, that’s actually good and would taste decent because his current namesake drink doesn’t because it's specifically made for him and his Super body but does next to nothing for normal people. We could do work with different branding styles. We could get body doubles to stand in for him. Although getting a body double for White Lighting would be the easiest one to get because of the mask. However once we have body doubles in place, you could still be seen as helping them both, make sure all your statements clarify that you were in the room with the both of them and have different but similar products for both of them. But I guess that would depend on how much you want to help him.” Sandy did her best to come up with stuff off the top of her head and felt grateful that her own inspirational spark was working for her in a pinch like this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, so what you’re going to do is watch a video, listen closely and pay attention and then work around everything that was said in it. I don’t care how many people you have to bring into this but no one working on this project can reveal what they see in the video, they have to be trustworthy. I just want this done as quickly as possible. And I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars if you can have something ready by say, end of the day tomorrow. And whoever you bring into this, I’ll pay them five thousand dollars each if you can come up with a way to bring Mr. Dash Parr into our fold without upsetting Ms. Parr or Mr. Leopold Traeger. I want Mr. Dash Parr just as close to me as Ms. Parr currently is.” Phillip proposed and Sandy blinked in surprise. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I’ll even up your salary by 30% and anyone else’s salary by 15% who is involved in making sure Mr. Parr is brought up to snuff, <em>without</em> Ms. Parr’s involvement.” Phillip added as extra incentive and that was more than enough for Sandy to agree to it and warm up to the idea. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course Sir, I’ll get right on it. I won’t let you down.” Sandy reassured him as she took off her coat and got settled back in before she got to work and started making calls as Phillip saw himself out with the smuggest smirk on his face because he knew Sandy would deliver because Sandy was clever at making even the worst scandals turn around and make them something awesome. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Within an hour Sandy had called in all of her trusted friends at work back into the building and all the people she knew could deliver on good ideas and would be great with brainstorming who were in turn, all women as they overtook one of the bigger conference rooms with all kinds of food before they all together, watched the video Phillip had given to Sandy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyone else now even more terrified of Ms. Parr than we were an hour ago?” Martha asked somewhat rhetorically as she raised her hand and they all in turn raised their own hands. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ms. Parr is on the money though. How on earth are we supposed to work around this? He has so much liability.” Andy asked as she chewed on her own manicured thumb nail anxiously since she was an actuary for SEB, calculating risks and liabilities and just her own numbers were showing how Dash was way more risk than he was worth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well Mr. Sebastian is paying us all five grand and an additional 15% bonus each to find out a way to do it. We can’t let him down. And we need to find a way to do it without inciting Ms. Parr’s wrath and address all of these issues. Come on ladies, let’s put our heads together. How can we turn this around? How can we make everyone involved a winner here?” Sandy pleaded to her group as they all passed take out containers of food as their impromptu dinner. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I got it!” Rachel realized. “Violet said Dash was really only good at making himself look good? How he's good at always being the center of attention? What if we “hire” him to help him manage </span>
  <em>
    <span>himself</span>
  </em>
  <span>? We can make it an actual service for other Supers and other famous people alike or even lottery winners. How to manage your social media presence, how to manage your money and wealth and property and assets. We can set up his own bill payments and child support payments and have them recurring so he doesn't have to remember to do them every month, we can hire helpers and assistants for them we can teach them how to handle the media, how to manage the fame without letting it get to them and help keep them from cracking under the pressure. We can involve other gurus and other successful people. We can make it a networking thing. We can add White Lightning and Dash Parr the Olympian to the roster. We can add counseling and even advisors and we can help other Supers who may also be famous in real life for other things, help them maintain their own “secret identities” and help them make sure the two stay separated. We could help find sponsors and endorsements and help them find individual niches instead of just the general Supers, we could have our own “hush” plans and a separate committee so that if these guys ever make any more ‘Woopsies and Oopsies’ that we’ll take care of it and hush it and make it go away without having to get all murder-y like how Ms.Parr obviously handles things. And that way it’s not just Dash or White Lightning, it can be so many others, Dash is just the starting point, he’s just the first one, first of many but he will be our poster child for this. We could do it for Mysterio too. We can form a committee of everyone in this room. We can be a corporate’s version of The Agency and make it about the individual Supers and cater to them individually instead of the individual governments or “jobs” that The Agency focuses on. We can privatize Supers essentially and make SEB out to be the protective, comforting mother to all.” Rachel realized before everyone erupted into applause before they got to work on Rachel’s idea and within only two hours, they got everything together thanks to the whole of the group working together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next morning Phillip came in to see the initiative already on his desk and practically giggled when he read through it as he realized that this was the perfect solution to his problem. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Clever, <em>clever girls</em>.” Phillip cooed as he got into his computer and went through the employee directory and gave each one involved what he had promised along with a new bonus and upgraded their payroll tiers and reassigned each every single one of them into the new initiative and even got ahold of Veronica Andrews to hire her as the initiative’s official handler trainer because surely every Super would need a good handler and SEB would be more than happy to hire as many as would be needed which Veronica happily agreed and accepted before he went online to a florist and ordered each and every single one of them flowers from all the florists in town and the most amazing gift baskets along with gift certificates galore before he got his other assistants to get to work on putting everything together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet came into work just as a courier was coming in to deliver all gift cards from all the places that Phillip ordered them from before she went to her office and checked in and checked into Phillip’s computer to see what he was working on this morning before her jaw and her heart dropped as she accessed the initiative and read it herself and slapped her hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming or crying out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She should have just let Dash get hired as a handler. This was <em>so much worse</em>. This was now going be involving everyone she knew. Her intuition was telling her that this was going to be the next big thing. And would, in theory make her even more ridiculously rich, <em>but at the cost of her soul</em>. Or what was left of it and immediately ran to Barret who was now- only getting out of bed before he felt Violet’s panicked tapping of his shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? What?” Barret asked before he got up and went to his bathroom before pushed him into his shower stall and formed a forcefield around them and then launched herself into his arms as she bawled her eyes out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet, what happened?” Barret asked as he clung tightly as he could to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip, he got an even bigger take, I didn’t think he would go this far.” Violet sobbed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What did he take?" Barret asked worriedly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip, he made an initiative, he’s privatizing Supers, he’s going to collect them like collectable cards and Dash is only the beginning…” Violet tried to tell him before she told him as much as she could as Barret just stood there in stunned silence and listened to her. Then he realized, that was one hell of a way to do business and his own genius spark was running the numbers and telling him that it was going to work and at what success rate it would too. But it also meant that every Super who joined, would in theory be the take against Violet and Dash and how Phillip was going to use this to control both of them and control everyone else who signed on. And how little he could do or help. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do I do?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Distance yourself from it.” Barret finally said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Make sure that Phillip and Dash both know that you have absolutely nothing to do with it. That none of this hinges on you or your performance and that the moment your contract is up- that you are free to walk away from all of this and that none of it would ever impact you or that you would never impact it. You did your part of protecting Dash the best way you could and you saved him from being a shield to Phillip which was the best thing you could have done. Anything that happens from here on out is on him and every Super who signs with SEB does so of their own free will. If Dash wants to hang himself on any rope that Phillip gives him, that is all on him and every Super who follows suit, does the same. It’s not on you at all. <em>This is not on you</em>. You had nothing to do with this. You are not responsible for anyone but yourself. That’s it. You will go insane trying to protect everyone from everything. You have done more than enough already, it’s done, it’s over, <em>no more Violet</em>. You know the truth as do I and we both know it’s too dangerous to reveal it right now. And all this means is this is just one more thing that Phillip gets to lose when his own truth comes out. That’s all. No more. Just do me a favor. Never sign onto this as Invisigirl. Invisigirl doesn’t exist anymore. She’s a ghost and don’t make up anyone new either. You’re as done with hero work as you can be and hopefully in two years or less, it will hopefully never again be a part of your life, I swear to you I will do whatever it takes to keep you out of it as long as I live, if you want me to that is.” Barret pleaded as he held her face in his hands and stared into her bloodshot eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never?” Violet asked as her hands caressed his wrists as she stared gratefully into his own gorgeous baby blues. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Never.” Barret vowed before she stood on tip toe and kissed him for all she was worth and was so happy and relieved when he kissed her back just as emphatically. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Say it again.” Violet requested when they broke for air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll never do hero work again Violet, not if I can help it.” Barret managed to recall because any other thought but her in his head was long gone now as Violet happily reattached her mouth to his as shared the hottest impassioned kiss either of them had ever had with another human being in their lives. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you.” Violet thanked him as she pressed her forehead to his and did her best not to cry anymore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I better get out of here before…” Violet couldn’t bring herself to finish that sentence before she let down the forcefield around them and vanished, Buddy feeling her leave as he could feel her face and neck pull out of his hands and her hold on him let go, wishing he wasn’t so chicken shit, he should have told her </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span>, because he loved her but once again, fear kept his mouth shut and the words dying in his throat as she phased out of there and returned to her own office. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All the way there Violet debated on how Invisigirl or Ms. Parr would feel about this development and how she needed to act towards Phillip about this and how she needed to feel about this to him to give him the right signals and impressions. Because if she tipped him off too soon, he would just try again, and who knows what lengths he would go to as Barret’s words struck a chord. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>This wasn’t on her</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whoever would go for this- would do it of their own choice and volition and anyone who figuratively got into bed with Phillip, should be doing their homework first and it would be on them. Not her. And if Dash was stupid enough and desperate enough to want to do this- then that decision was also on him and he and he alone would have to deal with the consequences of his actions and her ability to give a fuck anymore was dangerously on the edge again. She was going to take care of herself and take care of Barret because she had already done as much as she could for everyone else in her family. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She was done. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She went back into her office, into her bathroom and got cleaned up and reapplied her makeup and remove all signs of her crying and pushed down her own true feelings and got straightened up before she looked in the mirror as she mentally divorced herself from all of this bullshit. But if Phillip carried through with this, it would give Dash no other choice but to grow up fully. And for that, she would be grateful as she put on an easy smile before she practically strut out of her office and into Phillip’s office just as the first wave of flowers and gift baskets were being delivered from the various vendors. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s all this?” Violet asked as she walked into it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, well, it’s the start of a new initiative.” Phillip answered proudly before he held it out to her as she perched herself on his desk again and pretended it was the first time she was looking at it and most importantly, was pleased with it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now this is brilliant. Honestly, from a PR standpoint- this is practically pure gold. And R&amp;D would get some variety. I get the feeling this is going to make SEB stock prices soar.” Violet mused happily as Phillip beamed a proud smile, happy she was happy with it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This actually addresses all the liabilities with next to no risk involved that would ever endanger you personally or Dash for that matter. This is going to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Violet appraised as she looked over who had worked on it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I take it all the flowers and gift baskets are for these lovely ladies who worked on this?” Violet guessed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Phillip confirmed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good, I hope you’ll reward them for such a remarkable initiative in such a short turn around time. Barely 18 hours. I take the lawyers are already working on the contracts?” Violet urged him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They are.” Phillip confirmed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” Violet nodded.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just one thing,” Violet began as she put it back down on his desk as Phillip furrowed his eyebrows because he had thought the girls had thought of just about everything. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Invisigirl</span>
  </em>
  <span> will have nothing to do with it and neither will Violet Parr or any other cover I’ve ever used. Because The Agency already gives me a media black out for everything except for the pictures of you with me, which is already what I want. Because as previously discussed, the moment my contract with you is up, I’m walking away and my contract with you does not hinge on this and this does not hinge on me, my performance, my work or my own contract and anyone who signs on, does so on their own and is independently responsible for themselves and only themselves. I’m not responsible for anyone but you and me and Mr. Pine.” Violet specified. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh of course, that’s a given.” Phillip reassured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good, well then, do we have anything new for Mr. Pine?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope, nothing new.” Phillip shook his head no. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you have anything new<em> from</em> Mr. Pine?” Phillip asked curiously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, I was able to stay because he invited me to stay for a drink. And after a bottle of wine, I was able to learn that Mr. Pine likes to be called Tully in private because that’s what “Tali” liked to call him because apparently “Buddy” isn’t exactly sexy to call out during the throes of passion. So in response, I told him he could call me Ellie, which is short for my middle name of Elouise, something small, but powerful.” Violet proudly and smugly reported as she sat pretty on his desk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ooh, very well done. Ellie and Tully, they got together quite nicely and the chances of them turning out just like Tali and Tully are high.” Phillip praised, just as proudly because she was practically oozing pride and satisfaction as Violet giggled evilly as she clicked her teeth and winked at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, that’s going well, it’s a start but it’s still going to be a work in progress, but just like a tortoise, slow and steady always win. So, do send my sincerest congratulations and my thanks to everyone who worked on this initiative, I approve.” Violet offered with a smile before she scooted off his desk saw herself out as Phillip was especially pleased that she was not only happy and relieved, but rather detached, letting him have free reign and control of it to let him do whatever he wanted, because she obviously trusted him. It was the perfect solution. Plus he’d have Dash in one pocket and Violet in the other, Dash would be doing everything ordered to him because he would be invested in every sense. Violet would be in the other because she wanted to be and as long as Dash was treated well, and Violet was also treated well, they would have no reason to leave. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Violet passed by every woman’s office who she saw on the initiative and made sure to assure and reassure each one that she was grateful and thankful for all their hard work on their initiative which all of them were anxious at first but once they heard that she was happy, were quite relieved to hear it as Violet also made sure to give whoever would be assigned to Dash in particular a head’s up on what they’d be really dealing with, which they were also grateful and thankful for and Violet could only shake her head subtly when Dash came strutting back into SEB, wearing his nicest suit to happily sign his life away and the idiot didn’t even read his whole contract. He was all about getting his first check and exploring his new benefits before Phillip urged that he and Dash should go check out an apartment worthy of White Lightning and a gold medal Olympian and got Dash into Sky Gardens with him, his own apartment just a couple of floors below his own penthouse suite. But Dash's own suite would put Violet's apartment to shame because it was practically dripping with luxury and Phillip cosigned it and vouched to the owners so that Dash could move in ASAP as they signed the paperwork only an hour after first seeing it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But what scared Violet is Dash invited the whole family to come to dinner to celebrate, as he of course made sure to invite Phillip as Violet and Jack sat down at the circle table and hold each other’s hand under the table as they watched Dash and Phillip practically become new best friends as Bob seemed so pleased and happy and grateful that Phillip would do something so great and generous for Dash while Helen and Violet did their best to hide and subdue their own suspicions as Jack and Violet had silent conversations with their eyes as Violet worried that because her whole family was so close to Phillip's person, that he was planting his seeds deep down into all of them which she knew is what Phillip’s goal was because Violet had never let Phillip meet the whole family for this very reason. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Violet came home from the dinner though. She was both dreading yet relieved for the fact that all the “spiders” had been removed from the place as she lifted her head up and looked around the place sadly, tears coming to her eyes as she walked around the whole apartment and even in the neighbor’s apartments, using her powers to reach out and try to find where they used to be and looking to see if they had simply been moved but no, they were all gone, <em>all of them</em>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was the real price for her new perfectly private and unseen life, Dash and the rest of her family. And she didn’t know if it was worth it. But now that she wasn’t observed all the time, now she didn’t need to hide her own overt work in her own home and set up traps just in case this place would ever be ambushed by who knew what or who. Using her powers to float up to the ceiling to the mini safe room she had built in her ceiling that her picture above her bed hid as her own counter measures and if the spiders ever came back, they’d die before they could ever be brought over the threshold and whoever would bring them over, would drop dead too. And she even used their previous “web” placements to her advantage to hide new and improved “spiders” of her own that would eat the others alive as her apartment, for the first time in a year, finally felt safe and like a home worthy of Invisigirl and Violet Parr. For the first time, this was her home turf. And the next morning when she got into her car, she noticed that the spiders had been removed from here too. Before she got out and got into her SUV and realized they had been removed from here too. And when she went into work. All the “spiders” were also gone from her office and her tablet and all she needed to do was leave her phone on her desk as she checked in with Barret, and noticed that the cameras in his work space shut off when she came into the place instead of going to sleep and when she popped into her head into the apartment side of the space, they were all all shut off over here too and had been for at least an hour or so and by the end of the day. All the “spiders” she had gotten used to living with were gone and she used the opportunity to ask Barret for a really big favor as she “gifted” him four objects she had bought, which were essential oil diffusers but hidden within each one, would be an EMP. That would knock out all electronics for Jack, Barret, herself, and hopefully Dash because she knew all the spiders would be moving to his place especially. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she came back to her office for her last check in. She found a jewelry box and the same jewelry case as before as she opened the first, it was another emerald necklace from Phillip, this time, smaller and more discrete but still beautiful and breathtaking. But it had absolutely no sentimental value to her and she found herself hoping it was expensive because she still wanted Phillip to pay for everything and promised herself that she would make him pay too, pay for every little bit of this in money and in his own blood. And it had no ‘spiders’ and the original gifted emerald jewelry set. This time, also spider free. And when she went to Phillip’s office to thank him for them, he wasn’t there. He had gone with Dash to go furniture shopping for his new apartment. So she simply left a sticky note thanking him for the gifts and sealed it with a kiss in his favorite shade of red lipstick and left that on his desk. This time she had no qualms about accepting them and when she returned to her office to get the jewelry and put it into her bag so she could get them safely and secured away to use for a rainy day, underneath the two jewelry cases was another check. It was for another two million, as a “headhunting fee” for getting Dash and White Lightning to be the first celebrity and first Superhero to sign on with initiative. If Phillip wanted to use money to ease her conscience as well as his own, she wasn’t going to fight it. She was going to take every penny offered and run with it and would use it to pave her own way out of here. That was Phillip’s own stupidity thinking that she would ever stay for the money because somehow the money would make up for the manipulations, he was going to be sorely mistaken and she took that check along with several others she had received that day and went to her own very private and secret accountant that always took her just an hour taking the various busses because she crisscrossed and backtracked her route there to lose any and all tails to get to, but instead she was free to drive straight there and had the money put into her new alias’ name- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ellie Pine,</span>
  </em>
  <span> as she also had plans in the works for Barret’s escape with her. Like Bonny and Clyde.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took a few days but once Dash was fully moved into his apartment, as Violet, her family and all of Dash’s friends, including Leo helped Dash move in, Violet could feel <em>all 54</em> “spiders” in this place, not to mention the additional spiders in his brand new vehicles. There were at least three in every room, hidden in “motion sensors” and the light fixtures and all the power outlets and knew that even more would be added to the place in the actual furniture as Dash showed off his new cell phone that Phillip had given him and Violet knew it was practically crawling with spiders as she presented him with her own housewarming present, the EMP, disguised as a essential oil diffuser that was impossible to open other than to to use it as a diffuser so that Phillip couldn’t use it to spy on her brother with, but in an emergency, could be activated to destroy all these spiders for him but she made sure not to tell Dash about the EMP part because she knew that Phillip would in turn replace it with just a normal diffuser. She needed to have an ace in the hole here. And while Phillip gave Dash enough rope to hang himself with, she was going to have her own noose cutters for Dash. This being the first. First of many more to come....</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ok, when I wrote- that Violet wants to make Phillip pay for all of this in his own blood, I meant it and our girl is gonna get what she wants. *squealing* it's gonna be so much fun!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. SEB-SI</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Violet has very large deposits into her account that she can't account for from a source she doesn't recognize. Time to do some digging.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chapter 14</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>The day after Violet helped Dash move in, and she realized she was officially spider free and that any and every obstacle in her path between herself and Barret had been taken away, she decided she should test her new boundaries and went back to Barret’s floor after her final check in for the day and knocked on his door and noticed that the moment she even got off the elevator, the cameras all powered down, not just went to sleep but got turned off where it would take several moments for them to get turned back on again and just like that, she felt like her own noose loosen around her throat and get some decent breathing room. But she knew the noose wouldn’t be fully removed until Phillip was in one too, theoretically speaking that is. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, oh, hi.” Barret realized when he opened his shop door to see her standing patiently on the other side with a sweet if not completely disarming smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you in the middle of anything at the moment? Or are you closing everything up for the night?” Violet posed curiously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, whichever would suit you best.” Barret found himself answering which got Violet to laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Want to get out of here? Go out to dinner?” Violet asked hopefully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure, is what I’m wearing ok or should I change?” Barret asked as he gestured to his clothes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your clothes are just fine,” Violet reassured as she pressed another button on the inside of her sleeve to transform into a semi dressy casual attire before Barret turned and began to set things to process overnight and turned his machines off and quickly went to the apartment side to get ready to go, Violet following him around almost like a lost puppy before Violet happily handed her car keys over to him before she took his arm and walked him out of there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So where did you want to go?” Barret asked as they walked up to her car. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wherever you want to go, don’t care where, somewhere with preferably good food, where we won’t be overdressed or underdressed and can blend in with a crowd, again, preferably.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok. That’s awfully specific for being vague.” Barret noted with an amused grin as he got into her car and started it up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a test. All the spiders officially moved out of everything that’s mine and they turn off whenever I’m on your floor. Ellie and Tully officially have their privacy black out fence which means you and I also have our own privacy black out fence and I want to see how far it extends. I want to see if it’s SEB specific, me specific or simply us specific. I want to test to see how far this “give” will go.” Violet noted as Barret drove out of the parking garage. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, so where did the spiders go?” Barret asked. </span>
</p>
<p><span>“They moved in with Dash. When we moved him in yesterday, he had </span><em><span>54</span></em> <em><span>of them</span></em><span>, that was just in the room sensors, electrical outlets, appliances that already came with the suite because while Dash didn’t get the penthouse suite at Sky Gardens, because Phillip owns it, Dash still got a suite that makes my apartment look like the projects and his suite is only two little floors away from Phillip's suite, directly underneath it actually. And I would wager he’s going to pick up another 20 in the furniture by the time he gets home tonight. They were already in everything, everywhere. Even his bathroom. Which was a line Phillip dared not cross with me and thankfully doesn’t cross with you and Phillip is out at La’ Parisian tonight with Dash, on their first “PR lesson” where Phillip is basically spoon feeding Dash how to best manage his social media accounts for maximum exposure. So we will be going anywhere else but there.” Violet informed him as she showed him the pictures she got from her own social media feeds. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Ellie Pine?” Barret grinned when he read the name on her phone. Giving him even more hope that this was going to end in- ‘happily ever after ‘ for them because just the idea of Violet Pine was almost too much for hope for, but was strangely, within reach. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yup, meet my latest cover, but for the first time of not trying convince you that Ellie Pine is real, I’m using Ellie Pine as the distraction for Phillip who’s the real mark so that Violet Parr and Bartholomew Pine can get a clean get away from him, </span>
  <em>
    <span>eventually</span>
  </em>
  <span>, I haven’t figured out exactly how yet, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” Violet revealed as she took his hand that oh so wonderfully held her own and kissed the back of it sweetly before Barret pulled their joined hands back to mirror her actions. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So are we dating or...?” Barret felt the need to ask. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you want to. Ellie and Tully won’t be for a little while yet, but yeah, if you’re sure you want to date me, I’d say yes if you asked.” Violet answered honestly. She knew it was a really stupid idea, to try to hide a whole real romantic relationship from Phillip, let alone have one right from under his nose. But if he was going to try to use her brother as leverage against her, she was going go for what she really wanted and even if this was going to end in disaster, by God, she was going to make it count and make it worth it and find her own happiness for however short or long she would get to have it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, we should definitely go out, consider this our first date as Barret and Violet then, but just as friends for Tully and Ellie then.” Barret decided. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Deal.” Violet readily agreed before Barret stopped at a red light and Violet took that moment to pull him to her and kiss him soundly and was so happy when he readily kissed her back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So where are we going?” Violet asked when the light turned green and the car behind them honked their horn to get them to stop necking and get Barret to drive again which got them both to laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What sounds good?” Barret asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like a really good pub.” Violet mused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you like whiskey?” Barret asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do.” Violet grinned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then I’m taking to Ralph’s Whiskey Bar. Because they have amazing food and a wall of whiskeys. I mean if you really want to break the bank, they have some of the best around and they have flights of whiskies that just remembering how good they were the last time I was there is making my mouth water.” Barret confessed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awesome, let’s do it.” Violet eagerly agreed before they went to the restaurant and had a wonderful time and what made it better was that they didn’t get tailed once. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A week later Violet, Barret and Jack were at a toy store trying to find something for Evan for his birthday that was to only take place in a few hours as Violet had the card for Evan firmly in her hand and already filled out with Barret’s name, Violet’s and Jack’s too. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what should we get Evan?” Barret asked Jack as they along with Violet walked the halls of the toy store. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Something cool.” Jack insisted as they continued to peruse the aisle as Violet simply checked her email and things and checked up on her bank account as she noticed there started to be weekly deposits into her account that she couldn’t account for. And they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>sizable</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dash seemed to hit the ground running with SEB as he quickly collaborated with his “team” </span>
  <span>which consisted of mostly women and thanks to Phillip encouraging Dash that he never hired stupid people and that Dash would do nothing but benefit from listening to these women because that's what Phillip did every time he did, Dash, for once, listened and more importantly obeyed all direction given by his team and was in the process of a full makeover for both Dash Parr and White Lightning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>SEB was still getting ready to publicly launch White Lightning under new branding, new logos, new catchphrases, new and greater media presence on all platforms, new merch of every form imaginable, new flattering photography along with new press releases, doing glamor shots for magazines along with new money management, new investing and of course Dash made sure he was investing as much as he legally and financially could in SEB because SEB was a fortune 500 company after all and had payouts much higher than what he was originally invested in as he was turned onto living off of the interest earned rather than the actual pay outs because it would benefit him in the long run which is what Violet had been doing for the last year and then some. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dash was also getting a new super-suit that Barret and Edna managed to work on together. The trade off had been Edna would redesign all the super suits of those who signed on with SEB and would of course get a greater percentage of sales of all the merch of these heroes in their new suits as royalty dues, in exchange, she listened to Jack about taking on Barret as a collaborator for them and the truth and secrets of Violet’s suit stayed strictly between Edna, Jack, Barret and Violet and the true invisibility for all the spectrums would stay strictly with Violet as it was readily agreed that such things would be too dangerous if made available to anyone, especially Phillip or anyone else at The Agency. But several features that were non power specific, those would make it to other suits. But Edna was just as happy having Jack and Barret to collaborate because the three of them could play off of each other really well and Violet was happy to see it while Edna made as a special addition to Violet’s new suit as per Violet’s request behind Barret and Jack’s back because she knew that if they knew she had this done, they would be pissed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By this point, The Agency had collected enough biometric data from all the Supers from The Fallout, fifty years ago- that was an event that kickstarted the existence of Supers to begin with- that they had now synthetized an isotope- 816S, that had the ability to turn normal people into Supers. Or if you already were Super- to enhance your powers. Violet had already had a dose as a teen going into undercover work, and it was because of that dose that saw her own powers bloom and expand and brought her to her current state but the price had been the stability of her brain with her central cortex. A few Supers had become addicted to 816S, because for Supers it almost acted like cocaine to a normal human, only instead of only making you <em>feel</em> powerful, 816S <em>made you</em> more powerful. However the price of addiction had cost several Super’s their lives so 816S was kept top secret and only dolled out to only those with enough clearance, and enough need for it. But because of the nature of Violet’s work and her own power skill set. Violet kept a secret dose of it on her at all times, hidden within her suit, so that at a moment’s notice, she could, in theory go supernova powerful. It would most likely cost her- her life. But for her, she felt safer with it, than without it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In order for Phillip to financially motivate Dash, he offered Dash half a mill for every Super he could get signed onto SEB Super Initiative, Dash readily and eagerly got every friend he knew and became a mini sales rep for SEB, showcasing himself as what all these Supers could expect when they would work with SEB and thanks to Violet talking to her mom privately, at least Helen and Bob wouldn’t be coming out of retirement to go with SEB. SEB and The Agency also came to terms for doing business with each other moving forward. For the actual jobs- The Agency would still call the shots of who did what. But as far as Super care on an individual level, SEB would take the reins because the more positive press every Super got, the greater positive press for The Agency. As The Agency made it so that only Supers who signed on with The Agency could benefit from the SEB Super Initiative.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was enough to make Violet almost violently sick and she even went on record with the top people at The Agency and warned them that doing such a thing was going to be dangerous and even made a video, that would be released on every media outlet, should something happen to either Dash or herself and gave it to a few very trusted friends, that would hopefully ensure that at least in death- the truth would come out. But for now, Tali and everyone else told her to wait and to simply gather as much evidence as she could and to continue on normally but to keep on the lookout for anything abnormal. And unaccounted money in her account was abnormal. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What wrong Vi?” Barret asked as he came to stand next to her and put his arm around her and peeked at what she was looking at her phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Unaccounted money in my account.” Violet answered as she looked at the deposits. They were coming in on a weekly basis. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I see?” Barret asked as she handed her phone over to him as Barret looked at them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Call the bank and ask the teller what her computer says, tellers and bankers are able to see more.” Barret encouraged her before he handed it back before Violet took him up on his advice and called the bank. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for calling First National Bank of Metroville, this is Sarah, how can I help you today?” Sarah asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi Sarah, my name is Violet Parr and I’ve been checking my account and I have some unaccounted money in my account, can you help me identify it?” Violet asked politely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh of course!” Sarah asked as she asked for Violet’s credentials and then got Violet’s account numbers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So which money are we having trouble accounting for?” Sarah asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The $250 thousand and some odd dollar deposit from SI? Who is SI?” Violet asked.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, well according to my computer SI is short for SEB Industries Superhero Initiative, and SI is supposed to SEB-SI.” Sarah answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh huh.” Violet answered in understanding but still frowned deeply at the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there a problem Ms. Parr?” Sarah asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope, no problem, at least on your end, thank you so much for your help Sarah, have a good day.”  Violet thanked her before she got off the phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s SEB Superhero Initiative. I told Phillip I wanted nothing to do with… </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh God damn it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Violet cursed as she remembered the two million dollar check as a headhunting fee before she called Leah, who was Dash’s financial advisor and investor along with lead financial advisor and investor for The Initiative as a whole.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello?” Leah answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Leah, it’s Violet, Dash’s sister, hey listen, I’m getting sizable deposits into my account from the Superhero Initiative and I didn’t sign on with it and I told Phillip that I was going to have nothing to do with it. So I’m just curious as to how and why this money is finding its way into my account.” Violet tried her best to politely level with her in the friendliest tone she could manage. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh it’s actually in Mr. Parr’s contract, on page 147 paragraph b, under payees of the contract. When you signed on with SEB and created a trust fund in Mr. Parr’s name a year ago and still put a substantial percentage of your own earnings into it ever since, Mr. Sebastian felt it was only fitting that since you invested in Dash that he should in turn return that investment with interest. So you get 5% of everything he earns. You get 5% of his gross earnings, his endorsements, his commissions, 5% of his own investments, 5% of all merch sales, appearance fees and the like.” Leah cheerfully informed her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see, but none of that has dropped yet. The merger hasn’t been announced and no new endorsements have been signed have they?” Violet pressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no but to entice and financially motivate Mr. Parr, Mr. Sebastian has offered to pay Mr. Parr an additional five hundred thousand dollars for every new Super he can get signed to SEB’s initiative.” Leah revealed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So...am I getting this money before or after taxes?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“After, your cut is right off the top but taxes have already been applied to the payments.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So if Dash is getting 500 thousand for every Super he signs up and I get five percent of that, that’s only 25k, this is basically ten times... Oh, I see, Dash has signed 10 other Supers on hasn’t he?” Violet realized. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually 11, but yes, you got it Ms. Parr.” Leah congratulated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, that makes sense. Thank you for telling me.” Violet thanked her as Violet turned and was softly banging her head against a big box of Legos on the shelf. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no problem at all, I should also inform you as per Mr. Sebastian’s request that upon Mr. Parr’s death you will also get 5% of all residual sales while the remaining 95% will go directly to his two sons and split evenly between them, unless he father’s more kids between now and when Mr. Parr eventually dies, then the remaining 95% will be split as evenly as it can be between all of them so you don’t have to worry about trying to plan for them too, even though I already know you already have trust funds in place for them.” Leah continued. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s...that’s sweet of him. But hasn’t Dash noticed that he’s missing 5% of his money?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope, not at all, it’s subtracted with his taxes and stuff and taken care of on the SEB side and he has two accounts. Your brother really only cares about making sure that all the bills are taken care of in the first account that all the money goes into that first account that he has very limited access to so he doesn’t cause himself anymore financial ruin, and then the second account is only for the accumulation of his “play money” meaning the money can spend and blow on whatever he wants without the danger of not having enough to cover his bills or get behind on any of his payments and that is paid into on a weekly basis.” Leah informed her which got Violet snort a laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow that’s...really...immature.” Violet managed to say without cussing up a storm at her brother’s ideocracy. SEB could be robbing him blind and he’d never know it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>I know</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I know.” Leah sympathized. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, thank you Leah, have a good day, thank you for everything.” Violet thanked her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome Violet, you have a good day too, bye.” Leah offered cheerfully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Goodbye.” Violet said before she hung up before she picked up a soft squishy stuffed animal and whisper screamed into it before she did her best to become recomposed as she put it back on the shelf before she clasped her hands and whisper murmured a prayer for her to keep her composure and not smother Dash to death with is own blood money. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what’s wrong?” Jack asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Our brother is a complete idiot. A moron, an imbecile, the biggest fool I’ve ever known in my life that I should not have to share a gene pool with and neither should you.” Violet began to rant. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did he do?” Jack asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, so metaphorically speaking, Dash has practically put his own ball-sack into a cock ring and placed it snugly into Phillip’s gloved hands and is practically begging Phillip to beat them until they pop.” Violet metaphorically illustrated complete with gestures which caused Jack and Barret to both grimace as she clapped her hands so hard it could be heard a few aisles away as Barret and Jack practically crossed their legs protectively. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, easy.” Barret said as he went to cover Jack’s ears which got Jack and Violet to snicker a laugh as Jack hissed in sympathy pains. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How did he manage that?” Jack asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, so Phillip, in an effort to collect Super’s like Monopoly cards, gave Dash a cash incentive of 500k for every Super he gets to sign up to the initiative like some kind of Ponzi scheme. And then, Dash had his financial team set up everything and pool all of his money into one account, have all of his bills come out of that account and then he has next to no access to that account and then have his “play money” meaning none of the money earmarked for any one bill put into the second account so that whatever that bank balance is, that’s how much money he has to play with. SEB and his team could be robbing him blind and he’d never know and I told Phillip I wanted nothing to do with it and what did that bastard do? He got me roped in anyway.” Violet spat as she paced the aisle anxiously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How?” Jack asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I seem to recall that the day after or whatever when Dash signed on with The Initiative, I got a two million dollar check as a headhunting fee, a mill for Dash and a mill for White Lightning to sign on with the initiative which was essentially the take because the handler thing I had shot down which I regret doing, I should have just let him do that instead so it wouldn’t have involved anyone else or I never should have taken the reassignment to begin with because this is getting so out of hand but it’s still all under Phillip’s control, but I digress. Phillip was already gone with Dash to go furniture shopping so I couldn’t take the check and cram it down his throat, so I took the money and I stowed it away and thought that would be the end of it. But when I looked at my account, I noticed a sizable deposit from SI, which is short for SEB Superhero Initiative- <em>SEB-SI</em>. I called Leah and she told me that in Dash’s contract which I can assure you he didn’t read past the first page, that because I made a trust fund for Dash that I put about 1% of my earnings from SEB into continuously that will pay out upon my own retirement from SEB in two years time, that Phillip thought I should see a return on that investment, </span>
  <em>
    <span>with interest</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I now get 5% of everything Dash earns. And that deposit, was from his own head hunting fees, he’s signed eleven more Supers on with SEB. It’s...<em>it’s blood money</em> essentially. It’s his own and it’s every other Super he’s signed and because he signed it, it’s practically written in stone.</span>
  <em>
    <span> I can’t stop it</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And I have no control over it, Phillip even made sure to put in a clause, should Dash die at any point from now until whenever he does, that if they continue to sell merch or whatever, that I’ll continue to get 5% and his boys get the split the other 95% or if he fathers any more children, they’ll all get that 95% distributed evenly among all of them, or so it supposedly says, I don’t know I didn’t look at it because I told myself I wasn’t having anything to do with it and if Dash was stupid enough to let Phillip pull a fast one on him, he was going to pay the consequences himself. So that even in death- Phillip will still control everything. Because I’ve learned the hard way that if I’m not controlling the situation, Phillip will and too many nasty surprises happen when he does.” Violet realized as Barret simply hugged her and held her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s going to use Dash as a puppet, just like he’s used me. I’m used to it though. Dash isn’t. Dash, for as strong and as fast as he is physically, mentally he’s slow and emotionally he’s so fragile and by the time he gets wind of what’s really happening and what’s really going on, it’s going to be too late for him. Like a cow that just got loaded up into the trailer that’s heading to the slaughter house, thinking it’s going to greener pastures.” Violet confessed into the crux of his neck and shoulder as she relished in the comforting and grounding effect Barret had on her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then we’ll just find a way to hijack the trailer or expose the slaughter house before it gets there.” Barret reassured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like if SI was completely separate from Phillip, it would be awesome. But with a master manipulator like Phillip, who knows what he’s gonna really play at.” Violet worried. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll figure it out.” Barret reassured her as Jack stood back and picked out two different gifts for Evan and smiled fondly at Violet and Barret being so gosh darn adorable and waited until they pulled apart, kissing each other sweetly before announcing he found the perfect gifts, not wanting to ruin their moment, feeling just as reassured that Barret was confident in a solution.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ok, I must admit, I did take a note or five from The Boys which is on Amazon TV. I've only seen the first season and that was enough for me. To be clear- that show is FUCKED UP. Like, ate up fucked up. Hopefully this will be less so. Hopefully.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Coincidence? I Think Not!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ha! I've wanted to use that line since the beginning. <br/>Dash is finding way too many coincidences in his life and can't figure it out WHY. So he enlists his sister for some help.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chapter 15</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dash sat on his couch in his new apartment and frowned as he drank in the relative dark, a lone lamp lighting up the space next to him as he stared off into space, savoring the slow burn of the whiskey in his glass. Too many coincidences had been happening in his life lately, and too much was not adding up, he could chalk up the first few times to actual coincidence. But ever since he signed on with SEB-SI, they happened way too often and he was now growing really suspicious. He could swear he was being watched, and followed, constantly but not by “fans”. He felt like he was growing paranoid and it unsettled and perturbed him. He should have known that if something was too good to be true, it usually was as he thought of how and why things were off but couldn’t make sense of it. He had always fantasized about everything going his way and now that things were- he couldn’t be happy about it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>SEB-SI had just launched White Lightning and the other Supers he had signed on under new branding and new merch and now his own popularity had skyrocketed and he was making more money now than he knew what to do with- which was a first for him. But what he didn’t like was that he was now at Phillip’s beck and call and his own autonomy was shrinking by the day. And even though he technically could do whatever he wanted, it all had a hidden cost- his life had suddenly become a nonstop series of appointments and press releases and meetings and every moment of every day was now planned out and booked up and the only moments he had to himself were these fleeting ones right before bed. He was doing so much running he was exhausted, all the time. He only saw his kids and the rest of his family by appointment and it was his assistants and managers who put that into his schedule. And free time was a thing of the past. It was his time that suddenly became a precious commodity and it didn’t matter what he bought or consumed, his happiness was fleeting and he had some profound needs that he couldn’t specify but they were going unfulfilled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At first he was in awe of Phillip. He had no idea why his sister wasn’t dating him and Dash wanted to be just like him one day because Phillip had been awesome, the perfect guy and the more he hung out with him, the more he liked him and the more he was willing to do anything to please him if only to get closer to him and be one of his best friends, </span>
  <em>
    <span>at first</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But now that he was in therapy, both with SEB-SI and out of it, the more he realized- whenever he was around Phillip, it’s like he turned into </span>
  <em>
    <span>a fawn</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He always fawned with girls for attention, so that wasn’t new. He recognized the sensation instantly. Especially for a pretty face with a decent body.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But with Phillip, this was his first time being a fawn </span>
  <em>
    <span>for a dude</span>
  </em>
  <span> and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did not</span>
  </em>
  <span> like it. He at first questioned his sexuality. But now, he just couldn’t put his finger on it, but something was off. And the more time he actually spent with Phillip, whenever they parted and Dash thought over the time he spent with him, he was surprised by how in the moment- everything was cool and awesome, but whenever he was away from him and reflected on it- the more Phillip was putting him into more and more dangerous situations. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Like last weekend for example. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Last weekend, he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed</span>
  </em>
  <span> to meet Ashley and Amy at Scene-It with his kids, he was supposed to go have fun and Jack was supposed to be there with Violet and meet this Barret for himself. Supposed to anyway, he had been planning on it ever since he saw it on the calendar at his parent’s house. Call him old fashioned but even though he knew Violet could take care of herself, he always liked to check out the guys Violet was into. At first blush Phillip had been the first winner Violet had come across. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But now, he wasn’t so sure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Because instead of going to Scene-It, like he had been planning all week prior, at the mere suggestion from Phillip, he went with Phillip to the most upscale night club Metroville had that had its own VIP strippers and he had met his dream girl- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Vivian</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She was hands down, the hottest woman he had ever met in his life and there had been serious sparks of chemistry between them and if he had met her under any other circumstances he would be fawning all over her to try to get with her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But instead</span>
  </em>
  <span>- he still found himself</span>
  <em>
    <span> fawning for Phillip</span>
  </em>
  <span> in Vivian’s presence. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so weird</span>
  </em>
  <span> and just </span>
  <em>
    <span>unnatural</span>
  </em>
  <span> for him as he realized, he had been feeling this way ever since he met Phillip, every interaction they had- had him feeling this way and he couldn’t figure out why. And just in case it had been a fluke, they had gone back to Lotus just tonight and it happened </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something was definitely up, but every time he brought up that he was feeling watched and followed at SEB-SI, they all reassured him that it was not the case, at least on SEB’s side and denied that anything like that was ever happening and his SEB-SI therapist even insinuated that Dash was cracking under the pressure and was feeling paranoid with his own fame and that if he was being followed, that it was his fans doing so, not SEB. The thing was- Dash was used to the fans, they stuck out like neon signs against the night sky. Who or what was following him now was all together different. Every time he looked- it was like they vanished or they weren’t there but he couldn’t shake the feeling no matter what. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The only one who believed him was his own private therapist who he had been seeing since he was a kid because he was one of the many therapists for The Agency who specialized in providing therapy for Supers, and especially kids of Supers and that therapist’s advice was to say something to his sister in private because even though she had been acting like a bitch ever since she came back and started to work for Phillip. She was the only one in a similar situation who could understand and give him any kind of guidance moving forward and with her abilities as a Super and someone with a history with espionage, she would be the expert to call in. He hated to do it but he didn’t have much of choice either way, because it was either her or his own madness at this point. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On Monday he went into his sister’s office after he met with his SI team. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, do you have a minute?” He asked her as she sat at her desk and went through her own paperwork. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you need?” Violet returned as she briefly looked up from her own paperwork to look at him.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just...I need to talk.” Dash confessed as he took a seat in the chair on the other side of her desk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About what?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we like...go somewhere? I really want to talk with you one on one, </span>
  <em>
    <span>privately</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Dash proposed which made Violet frown as she looked him over and could tell he was nervous and anxious.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah sure, let’s go get some brunch.” Violet agreed before she got her stuff and they left. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, put your phone in this, any tie bars and clips, cufflinks, watches and all that, into here.” Violet instructed as she put her own phone into the compartment, </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?” Dash asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to talk privately or not?” Violet returned before Dash did as he was told and did all of that as Violet drove to the restaurant she wanted to take him to before she closed the compartment and pressed a button next to it and then pressed another button on her dash that would kill any “spiders” not in the compartment within the car and grinned when the ones in his buttons on his suits and his belt died. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What was that for?” Dash asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dash, I’m a spy, meaning I’m a professional at being paranoid. If there were any listening devices in any of that, they just got put to sleep, and it will take for them to be turned back on manually for them to come back on.” Violet revealed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha...why…” Dash stuttered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Habit I’ve picked up from years of experience.” Violet answered before they arrived at the restaurant and Violet left the car with all the electronics staying in that compartment before she went inside and asked for a private booth and the waitress immediately came and got their order once they were seated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what’s up?” Violet asked once the waitress left with their order. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, actually, I feel paranoid too. Ever since I came to SEB-SI, I feel like I’m being watched all the time, there’s been countless coincidences, like I just say out loud my problems and the next day I come into work- there are solutions already in place and I feel like I’m never alone, that I’m being followed and watched all the time and it’s making me paranoid, and usually I love that kind of thing because, again, I know I’m egocentric and I’m working on it, but this is different. Plus every time I hang out with Phillip I turn into a fawn and I had every intention of going to Scene- It last Saturday to hang out with you and Jack and Jr and Dillion and then Phillip invited me to hang out with him and it was like hanging out with him was the most important thing to me in that moment and we ended up going to Lotus and I met this girl Vivian, who was, hands down the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen in my life and we talked and hit it off and had off the charts chemistry but what was weird was I know I fawn to girls, this is known about me, I’m an attention whore, I know that and accept that about myself, and I was ready to do whatever it took to make Vivian mine, but I found myself still fawning towards Phillip more and stronger than to her which is really weird and out of character to me. Now I know for certain, I am not gay, not even a little bi, I love women in general way too much. So something is up and I need you to tell me straight if I’m going crazy or if something really is up.” Dash pleaded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the bittersweet smile and meaningful look his sister gave him told him he wasn’t crazy. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He was right.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dash, did you take my advice and read your contract with SEB-SI? Did you read every word, every line and did you have a lawyer who you trust who was not in Phillip’s pocket, and by Phillip’s pocket- I mean on his payroll and not in any way shape or form, bought off by him- read it with you before you signed it?” Violet asked him calmly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Dash winced. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why not?” Violet asked, with surprisingly less judgement in her tone than Dash expected. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because...because I was told it was all just boring legal jargon and I believed them and I trusted them not to dupe me.” Dash answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dash we have roughly two minutes to speak freely, so I’ll make this quick, you know as well as I do that the Devil is always in the details. My advice is to start at the beginning which is the contract. When we get back, get the original contract, not a copy, because copies can </span>
  <em>
    <span>conveniently</span>
  </em>
  <span> lose important pages and paragraphs. Get the original. Then get a lawyer who you know for a fact isn’t on Phillip’s payroll who you can trust, which there are few and far between but I have a few who can help if you need a recommendation, but I will recommend them to you as shrinks because if I recommend them as lawyers, they will be in Phillip’s pocket by the time you get to them. Second- forget Vivian exists. I know she’s basically a younger version of Ashraya Rai, but she’s dirty, and technically so am I but Phillip practically owns every dancer at Lotus and they are his toys and he does not share toys, ever and if you were to try to “play” with her anyway, whatever you take from Phillip, Phillip takes back ten or even a hundred fold and you will be paying dearly for it and it’s not worth it. Anyone who Phillip introduces you to is someone he either owns or has by the balls. He owns half the people in Metroville and most of them don’t even know it. Third- get someone who again, isn’t on Phillip’s payroll who you can trust- to take a serious look at your financials and always follow the money. Fourth, trust your gut when you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> with Phillip. When you’re with Phillip, your gut is going to lie to you and if you try to look into why that is- you’re going to be dead before Dillion turns five so don't go there. Your gut before now, has gotten you this far. If your gut is ringing any alarm bells and throwing red flags when you’re not with Phillip, listen to it and take note but not any physical notes, no paper trails leading back to you. Since I’ve started working for Phillip, what has gotten me through is- the Miranda rights, anything you say or do can and will be used against you. So don’t say or do anything that can and will be used against you. It’s a lot of work to keep mindful of that at all times and you’re going to get frustrated very easily and you’re going to want to go off and cut loose, but you can’t. You have two boys to think about. You have too much to lose.” Violet warned him in all seriousness as she talked as quietly yet quickly as she could. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So...I’m not crazy. I am being watched?” Dash asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tables at 7 o’clock and 4 o’clock they’re getting seated right now, the ladies purses have cameras and listening devices that are about to be pointed right at us. Let’s just eat and talk like everything is normal, I’ll teach you to spot them with more ease later.” Violet offered discretely before Dash looked over at the closest one and noticed that the lady nudged her purse that looked right out of a spy movie as Dash simply sat there and Violet watched as the revelation seemed to dawn on Dash as she watched those cogs in his brain turn and it all click into place for him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now Violet made so much sense. Dash barely got through the meal before he got back into her vehicle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did any of my stuff have bugs?” Dash asked as he looked at the compartment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I call them creepy crawly spiders, so spiders for short and let’s see,” Violet said as she pressed a button as the compartment then did a readout. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We put in 6 items, 13 bugs were found.” Violet read off before she opened it back up so he could take his things back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So here’s the deal. You don’t know about the bugs or spiders. For the record, I repeated what everyone else at SEB-SI told you in that you’re just being paranoid, because being paranoid is my job, also tell anyone who asks that I told you that I’ll look into it.” Violet advised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will you?” Dash asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh I already have Dash and because I did- if at any point your home comes under attack, press all the buttons on the essential oil diffuser I gave you. It’ll buy you time until I can get there if I’m close enough to do so and when in doubt about anything, back away, back peddle, renege, do whatever you have to do to get out of sticky or bad situations. Even if you have to come off as crazy or an asshole or reveal your super or private identity, do it if it means saving your own life because you can’t take care of your boys if you’re dead.” Violet advised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So this is why you’ve been a bitch since you came back?” Dash realized. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, being under the microscope and being under constant surveillance and counter surveillance will do that to you as you are just now finding out. So bravo, I thought it would have taken you at least a few more months.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would like to officially apologize then. I had no clue about any of this. You...you were trying to look out for me and I was too stupid to see it. I’m sorry.” Dash apologized. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome. Just take my fucking advice now.” Violet urged him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Will do.” Dash reassured her. “So you’ve been living like this for over a year, how have you done it?” Dash asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lots and lots of spa treatments, I get my nails done weekly, I get weekly hair treatments and scalp treatments, massages, facials every two weeks, hair trims every month and I go to a dance class and I work out and train at The Agency weekly too. I work hard to make sure all my Super skills are as sharp as can be and I never ever take a day off because I can’t afford to be complacent and as of now, neither can you, plus I make sure none of my ‘bad habits’ can get me killed. Like drinking or smoking or drug use because tampering all those are stupid easy. Also I have at least two dozen safety nets in place and several layers of contingency plans in place for all of my friends and family.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even me?” Dash asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, especially for Jr and Dillon. I’m not going to let anything happen to those boys.” Violet reassured him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, in the beginning, I thought you were crazy to not be with Phillip. Now I understand that it’s him that’s made you act crazy and you would be certifiable to be with him.” Dash realized. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you!” Violet laughed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But again, for the sake of everyone else, try to think and especially </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel</span>
  </em>
  <span> the opposite way, it’ll be better for you and a lot safer for you if you feel I would be crazy to not be with him.” Violet urged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?” Dash asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t answer that but you’ll see soon enough. Just keep your mouth shut, keep acting like everything is ok, and nothing is wrong and you’ll be ok. Let me worry about everything else.” Violet pleaded and Dash suddenly realized that if she was answering him like that, the dangers were really big and real for her to say that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, I trust you.” Dash insisted as they got back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Violet smiled appreciatively. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“After work today, come out to dinner with me and I’ll take you to those “shrinks” I told you about, because there are no less than three tails following us.” Violet offered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where?” Dash asked. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Black SUV four cars behind us, red sedan three cars in the passing lane at our 8 o’clock, white van at our five o’clock.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what’s so special about Barret?” Dash asked. “Every time I get a chance to try to meet him, something comes up.” Dash admitted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s on purpose.” Violet answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Dash blinked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip thinks he is doing me a favor to keep you distracted so that Barret, or “Tully” actually because his name is Bartholomew and both are nicknames for him- Tully is nothing like Phillip, but Tully and I have some history which makes the relationship a little complicated and Phillip is just trying to give me space to work on Tully in private, but because I’m working on Tully, full time, that’s why Phillip needed the new handler because I’m handling Tully instead of Phillip because Phillip reassigned me to him and every time we “go out” it’s all just trust exercises. So that I can gain Tully’s trust. Tully is also one of Phillip’s toys. As am I and now- so are you and all we can do is pray that Phillip plays nicely.” Violet revealed with a heavy sigh before Dash reached out and held her hand as she returned it.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what do I do?” Dash asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Act like everything is ok, and everything is normal and enjoy the spotlight while you have it and save and squirrel away as much money as you can and try not to let Phillip divide and conquer us. We don’t always get along but we’re family damn it. And if we don’t have each other’s backs, no one will.” Violet urged him as they drove back into SEB’s parking garage. </span>
  <span>“You’re going to be ok. Just call those shrinks and they’ll have some exercises for you to practice.” She said once they got out of the car and she put the numbers into his phone. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Now Dash is starting to see something isn't right. Now the question will be can Dash keep his big mouth shut to keep from ruining the surprise? We shall see.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Vaca</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While Phillip goes on vacation with Cheseray, Violet takes that opportunity and takes Barret on a vacation of their own- in the opposite direction.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chapter 16</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So guess what my idiot brother did today, or rather- is going to do.” Violet prodded Barret as she happily took a glass of wine from his hand as she dug into the little charcuterie board he had made and took a bite before hopping up onto the stool beside him in his kitchen after their “shifts” for the evening after she dropped an overnight bag off on his couch on her way to his kitchen while Barret’s offering for dinner was finishing off in the oven. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Barret asked with a laugh at the sarcastically pleased tone Violet was using as she took a sip of one of her favorite wines. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, you know how there’s this club called Lotus that’s like five blocks away, like it’s right over...there.” She said as she looked out of the windows on his apartment and pointed to the skyscraper in question, it was a hotel with several restaurants and bars and had a nightclub at the top on the roof.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Barret nodded as his gaze followed her direction before he nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know if you’ve ever been there but it’s a rave, party, dance place with like a dozen VIP rooms that caters to the rich and famous and upwardly mobile of Metroville and beyond right? Well, Phillip is a co-owner, he was an investor and his name is on the lease of the building and that place makes him a decent amount every year and the restaurants there are actually really good too, but that’s besides the point, so anyway, remember how my brother was supposed to come to Scene It with us like two weeks ago but never came? Well that’s because Phillip and Dash went out clubbing there instead, they went then and they went last weekend to celebrate the relaunch of White Lightning under SEB-SI and they’re back there now, as we speak. Well one of Phillip’s “toys” Vivian, who is actually a friend of mine, she’s an exotic dancer there. She is one of those women who is so insanely hot and beautiful that she’s used to making everyone around her reconsider their sexuality if only to explain why they’re attracted to her- kind of hot and so since Phillip is used to having the best and she is one of the best at what she specializes in so, Phillip is one of her sugar daddies and Phillip likes to think he owns her. Not that he’s her pimp but in the sense that Phillip pays for the vast majority of her lifestyle, her apartment, her wardrobe, pays for her shopping trips and vacations and pays her to basically fuck him and his friends on command, his friend’s money supplements her income along with the club which takes care of her taxes for her and insurances and she’s as smart as she is beautiful and I’ve helped her squirrel away all kinds of money just in case any minute Phillip dismisses her from his service.” Violet explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How many little “toys” does Phillip have?” Barret asked curiously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Including me? Like a dozen and a half.” Violet answered with a dismissive wave. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now that being said, Viv is a great girl, she’s really fun and we’re great friends and we’re in the same dance class and we hang out when we’re not working and I don’t want Dash </span>
  <em>
    <span>to ruin that damn it</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but I digress.” Violet continued to rant as Barret simply sat and nibbled on the charcuterie board with her and listened attentively before Violet pulled up the most recent picture she had of them together just the other day when they went out for brunch as Barret looked at the picture and just shrugged, sure Vivian was pretty but he still preferred Violet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyway, Dash really wants to date her just like everyone else who looks at her does. So I did the sensible thing and tried to warn him that she’s not really available to be his girlfriend and then I warned her going ‘hey my brother really likes you, do him a favor and tell him to take a hike because you deserve better that a shallow, cheating, two timing, narcissistic asshole who can’t even cook for himself or take care of himself properly and you know the dangers just like I do if it goes south,’ kind of thing and what did both of them do? Ignore me. Vivian basically made the point that Dash is not all that different from Phillip from her perspective but going out for little while couldn’t hurt even though she could literally have any guy she wants, even though she is already wrapped around Phillip’s little finger but because Phillip is currently dating Cheseray for like, a month now, which is one of the longest times he dates people. So, my brother is going to be asking her out tonight, in front of Phillip, while she’s working and probably going to be giving him a lap dance. Like I can not begin to tell you how </span>
  <em>
    <span>not cool</span>
  </em>
  <span> it is to ask a woman out while she’s working, especially in that industry, especially in any job where she’s working with the public, just..no, very un-classy. But since when has Dash ever had any class?” Violet ranted as Barret just sat there and grinned and let her get it all out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I’m willing to bet a hundred bucks, Viv is going to look to Phillip for permission to say yes or the direction to say no when he does too.” Violet predicted as she took her adult’s version of a lunchable sandwich of a cracker topped with prosciutto and gouda and bit into it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He just...has no sense does he?” Barret asked which got her to giggle. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, but then again, I don’t think you have any room to talk Mr. Steal- A- Nano- Chip- From- Phillip’s- Office in your attempt to try corporate espionage.” Violet teased as Barret made a face which made Violet laugh even harder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, maybe you have a point.” Barret admitted lowly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But it did bring me here and got me closer to you so I can’t complain too much, could be worse.” Barret allowed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It could be, you could be in max security prison in the showers getting…” Violet began to say over her half full mouth of food before Barret silenced her with a kiss. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shh, don’t...don’t go there, no.” Barret shushed her with a shudder which got her to grin in triumph as she hurried up and finished chewing on her bite and washed down what remained with her wine before she picked up where he left off and kissed him and just as their kiss deepened, the oven beeped, telling them the contents were done. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should get dinner out of the oven.” Violet tried to tell Barret between kisses. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It can wait however long it needs to.” Barret murmured back as he readily reached up and reverently held her face in his hands so she wouldn’t pull away before moving his mouth down from her mouth to her jaw then to her neck and to feel all tension leave her as her hands stroked up his arms to his shirt to pull him towards herself as he readily slipped off the high barstool so he could stand between her open legs as the kiss morphed from sweet to sensual to passionate and all Violet needed to do was move her hand to his shirt to grab it and pull it up his torso and untuck it from his pants and that was all that was needed before he attempted to pull at her own clothes and when Violet gave that hum of agreement and consent before he readily undressed her as she did the same right there at the breakfast bar. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure dinner won’t burn?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope, I learned my lesson last time, I set the oven timer, when it goes off, it shuts the oven off.” Barret reassured her as he grabbed her hips to scooch her forward so that her whole torso pressed up against him and when she readily wrapped her legs around his torso he went ahead and grabbed her up and carried her off to the bedroom where more and more things of hers had started to accumulate here, all within the confines of a few dresser drawers so that at least when the cameras turned on, there was no evidence of her presence in his space. But with Phil literally “babysitting” Dash, that freed her up to do as she pleased while the two egomaniacs had their hands full with each other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What she really loved is how she could tell Barret had just washed his bedding as he set her down gently on top of the bed, it smelled amazing, he had even ordered new bedding since he came to more reflect his own personal style along with other decorations for his space. Which Leslie had done most of the decorating for the space, hell Leslie had helped Violet decorate her own apartment, but Barret’s own tastes differed slightly and Violet happily got his own hand me downs to help decorate one of her safehouses which she knew Phillip might compromise if push comes to shove while taking notes about what Barret actually liked and noticed he gravitated towards blues, greens and grays with stark whites instead of the pure black, white and red of his old aesthetic. Violet liked to keep her own private space a beautiful blend of taupes, creams and soft purples and violets and greens which Barret had taken keen notes of whenever he got to visit her own private space. Barret had even started to design the perfect dream house for them on his off time, hiding it in plain sight under Project Ellie, he knew it was foolish to do so, but between Violet and this, it made the confinement bearable because he still had an endgame to achieve. Plus he always did better when he had long term goals, it helped fill in the gaps of how he was going to get from A to B and helped him realize what steps he needed to take and what processes he needed to start and in what order in order to accomplish the big picture. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And for Barret- the big picture was Violet, and making her happy and taking care of her and how he was going to do it- was take all of these little moments and prove to her that his feelings for her were genuine. He didn’t need to say ‘I love you’ he just needed to show it in ways that Violet would understand and appreciate and hopefully like, and right now that meant kissing her so well that he could hopefully make her forget her troubles and worries and fears and help her feel comfortable, and wanted, desired and treasured and while he knew she had had a lot of sex, he wanted to make love to her and have the act have meaning and it didn’t have to be the best sex of her life, but he wanted it to be good enough that she would be happy and content with it, for hopefully the rest of her life because he was already there himself.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When their relationship progressed to finally involve this kind of intimacy, Barret made sure that Violet understood that all he wanted was the real, genuine her. Not an act, not what she thought he wanted to hear or see, no manipulations, no working, whenever they were in his personal space or hers and “off the clock”, which is what Violet loved the most. She didn’t have to pretend to be someone else, or figure out his dream girl and be that for him like she did with Phillip. She could just be her whole self, not hiding anything or show anything she wasn’t comfortable with showing either and not catering to him and be accepted as she was and what Violet found was that Barret was very self sufficient, particular about some things, like he liked to keep his work space and his home space clean and organized, he liked to keep timers so he didn’t forget that he had clothes in the washer or dishes in the dishwasher. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He explained that it came from a life of being an only child, with only a single mom who worked two jobs to take care of him and him having to do most of the domestic chores to try to help his mom, and that’s when the inventions started, wanting to invent shortcuts and ways to help so that he got to spend more time with his mom since her time to spend with him were moments few and far between and how she never really took days off from work, she couldn’t afford to. His dad had been an electrical engineer for some kind of company and had died on the job and thankfully had had life insurance and while the money helped for a while, it left Barret alone in his father’s office a lot while his mom was working and when he wasn’t in school. Staring at all these schematics and trying to figure them out and once he did, once it all clicked into place in his mind and once he understood what he was looking at. He at first wanted to pick up where his dad left off. Then it was a matter of improving things, reinventing things, reimagining things and that’s when the inventions really started to come along and came naturally to him. So his own self sufficiency and common sense was out of necessity. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For Violet it was easy for her to understand why Barret reached out so strongly and fiercely to her father because he was the ideal father figure. But at the same time, Barret could see that that attachment was extreme, unbalanced and unhealthy and downright obsessive, dangerously so and his circumstances were no justification for it, which Violet was very happy and relieved that Barret had learned and accepted that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it was because Barret bared his soul without expecting Violet to do the same that she opened up to him. While she didn’t tell him everything because she didn’t want to tell him anything that would either compromise his safety or her own, she did give him little bits and pieces, where she had gone, what “jobs” she had done. Which skills she learned where and from who. How it was Tali who got her into ballet, not to be a dancer on the stage- but to gain the grace, finesse, strength, stamina, flexibility and mental and physical control of her body which would extend into controlling her powers. It was Ziva who taught her multitasking and delegate and prioritize and both of them taught her how to be as devastating as she was beautiful in all respects while both of them had also taught her how to manage and structure her money well, but it was Violet who had taught herself the vast majority of the art of hiding in plain sight and to blend in with any crowd and how to be underestimated on purpose, or simply how to terrify everyone around you so that no one ever would. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But right now, the past seemed to be so far away, her job, her obligations, her complications, everything seemed so far away when she was in this perfect bubble of safety that Barret built with her, all that mattered was them, like the rest of the world could fall away and it’s just the two of them and that’s ok and she was surprised how even the thought of Barret chased away every feeling of loneliness. And what Violet really appreciated was how Barret seemed to communicate so much without having to say much of anything and noticed she was doing the same. Little simple things that somehow added up to being more than just what they were at face value. How even though it was Barret who was the one confined, he still did so much for her because he was thoughtful enough and wanted to. He was putting in work and effort and actually courting her despite his own limitations and challenges and Violet for one was happy that Barret didn’t have to rely on fancy restaurants or expensive dates or gimmicks or tricks. Just dinner that he was fully capable of making, which she felt he was showing off most of his culinary skills which she didn’t mind one bit, a nice wine and company and nights spent in, that’s all she really wanted, no exposure, no other people, just them. Of course that wasn’t to say that Barret didn’t send her flowers. Or gifts, either at her home or at her office, his favorite kinds of gifts were self care items or gadgets or tools for her work to make her own work and life easier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She actually preferred it when he sent flowers though to her office. Because that way it was “proof” for Phillip that things were going well while also using the language of flowers to deliver “secret messages”. And it made it easier for Cheseray to not think that Violet was a threat to her relationship with Phillip if Violet clearly had a “boyfriend” who sent her flowers regularly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But that also meant that Phillip had to send Cheseray flowers, “bigger and better” arrangements then the ones Barret sent to Violet because he was after all, competitive. But that wasn’t to say that Violet didn’t put a show of being “jealous” of the flowers Phillip got for Cheseray. But they were just a show, they didn’t mean shit and that’s what made all the difference in the world to her. Because the flowers that Barret sent her meant something. And were special.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So I have an idea.” Violet prodded as Barret settled over her and continued to make love to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m all ears.” Barret answered between kisses and gentle sucks of her neck and shoulder as his hips stroked into hers deliciously. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Phillip and Cheseray will be going away on a trip to...somewhere tropical, I forget exactly where, Veronica is handling it, that means that you and I can, in theory get away too, not anywhere close to where they’re going, but, we could go to say...Scotland? Try some whiskies? Stay in a castle?” Violet offered hopefully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh hell yeah.” Barret readily agreed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweet, we can like make a week of it and stay in Ireland and England, I actually have a safehouse there that I need to check up on too.” Violet disclosed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So would this be a vacation for us or would you be working?” Barret paused to ask. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well if we were to leave this space, I couldn’t help but work just a little if only to stay safe and see if we get followed, and if we end up getting followed, then yeah, I wouldn’t be able to check up on my safe house unless we would shake them.” She reasoned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So is it a test to see how far the leash goes then?” Barret surmised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kind of? But I just really want to prove to myself that I can get the both of us out of here and get away somewhere, anywhere we want to go.” Violet explained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, yeah, lets do it.” Barret agreed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Great,” Violet grinned as she pulled him down to kiss him again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A week later Violet happily came into his apartment, already seeing his bag by the door as Barret was making sure everything was ready for him to be making the trip, making sure nothing would rot in his refrigerator or anything as he was quickly tossing everything that could potentially spoil in his fridge away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ready?” Violet asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yup. Just need to throw this out on our way out.” Barret answered as he carried the trashbag with him as Violet got his actual luggage as he threw his trash out in the proper dumpster on the floor that would be removed the following day before they made their way to her car where Barret took over his own bags and put them in the truck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Want to have some extra fun on this trip?” Violet asked once she got into the passenger seat and put her seatbelt on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am both just a little nervous yet intrigued by your choice of words and tone.” Barret answered as he was doing the same before Violet opened her cup holder compartment and pulled out a ring box that contained a wedding ring and matching wedding band. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Want to pretend to be a married couple? Newly weds even?” Violet asked as she opened the box and handed it to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why not for real?” Barret asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still too soon, you don’t have to agree, but I thought it would be fun.” Violet shrugged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah let’s do it.” Barret decided as he took the wedding band off and was impressed it fit really well and was actually in his preferred style. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.” Violet cheered as he took the wedding ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger as they smiled adoringly at each other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Also I may have just gotten my new Ellie Pine stuff in and I wanted to see how good it was but I didn’t want that to sway your decision.” Violet confessed as she opened her glove compartment where two cases were sitting as she put her own wallet into it and pulled out the second one where a second wallet was where she had all kinds of credit cards, insurance cards, a drivers licence, and quite a bit of funds in both american currency and UK pounds before she handed him a bank envelope full of UK pounds that he put into his pocket with a grin before he drove them to the airport. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Barret was actually a little surprised by how much he enjoyed all of this. Like a little secret mission and they were Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and was impressed by how easily they both fit into this role they made for themselves. Violet still had him sitting next to the window, and still discretely watched everyone around them and made sure to see every single person who got onto the plane with them from her spot in first class while her bag that had most of her weapons was in a cloaked bag between her feet, besides the ones in her cloaked super suit disguised as her clothes. She even knew which passenger was the air marshal just by looking at him for a tenth of a second. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So are we clear?” Barret murmured to her once all the passengers were on the plane. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One air marshal and so far I counted at least six guys and four women who might get drunk on the way, and three more individuals that might be trailers.” She murmured back to him as she held his hand with one hand and sipped on her drink with the other as Barret hummed in response because he noticed just about everyone give Violet a lingering look and an appreciative glance and while he had always felt possessive and a little jealous of the attention Tali garnered whenever they went anywhere, he still felt a little possessive but not jealous in the slightest. If anything he was proud to be with her. And especially to see how everyone soon noticed her wedding ring and then his own and came to the conclusions that they were married made him happy and he couldn’t wipe the soft, serene smile off his face for anything. He knew that their current difficult circumstances wouldn’t last forever, but hopefully, one day, this would be their reality. Although if he was honest, he could do this from the comfort of his private jet too. But he also knew that Violet wanted to see that they could be totally “exposed” and still be safe. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Phillp pouted from his spot with Cheseray under his arm, already giddily talking about all the things they were going to do once they landed. Cheseray, for being so beautiful and actually rather sweet, was also a chatterbox and she seemed to voice every thought that came into her head, it made him appreciate Violet’s silence and discretion even more and how she didn’t say anything about what she was really thinking about and how she kept her feelings pretty controlled and even, whereas Cheseray’s feelings were like waves on the stormy ocean, it was exhausting trying to get hers to stay in balance or completely withdraw his powers to only stay with himself to keep himself from feeling seasick.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Phillip’s mind was clearly elsewhere, Veronica only mentioned offhandedly while she was talking with his security team that Violet was also taking a trip and hoped that she had fun. Phillip’s jealousy that she was going somewhere else, in the opposite direction he was and was going to be spending the whole trip with Tully, he wanted someone to trail them to keep an eye on things and everyone he reached out to turned him down when they found out it was Violet, claiming that they didn’t have death wishes, and he had to resort to his last desperate reach to be able to get anywhere. Part of him wanted to tell the pilots to turn around and follow after her and go to the British Isles too but he knew that Violet wouldn’t approve and she’d back peddle and withdraw from Tully just to keep things so torturously slow. Phillip was getting so frustrated and exasperated by how slow Violet and Tully were moving because Violet herself had insisted that he was one of those individuals who wouldn’t be intimate with anyone he didn’t have a strong connection to and building that connection was a lot of work, too much work for Phillip’s taste. Phillip felt like glaciers were moving a hundred times faster than Violet and Tully and Violet was going to be cleared from her contract with him before she could even take the first step with Tully. He almost felt like they were doing it on purpose but he knew that Violet could only move as fast as Tully let her move and he couldn’t do anything about it. Maybe that was the frustrating part, he couldn’t do anything more about it. And he wondered if the length he was going to was going to backfire and make them back off from each other again, but he also couldn’t help himself, he just...he needed to know. But also this trip with Tully was proof that things were going in the right direction. A first big step. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once Violet and Barret touched down in Glasgow, Violet paused when she saw paparazzi waiting at the exit of the airport and it made her look around curiously to see if anyone actually famous enough would be here to warrant them before she narrowed her eyes at them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Barret asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Paparazzi.” Violet nodded over to them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you really think they’re here for us?” Barret asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, but it is strange isn’t it?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, even when I was with Tali, I never really dealt with them, she did. She dealt with all the press because she had the better face and temperament for it.” Barret confessed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what do you want to do?” Barret asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s see if they engage us, if they do, then we can lose them, but if they’re here for someone else, lets leave them be. But just in case.” Violet said before she got on her phone and made a quick phonecall from her phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s hang back a moment.” Violet suggested before they sat down with their luggage between it and the car rental desk and waited about 20 minutes before a very nice limo pulled up and the paparazzi seemed to become alert and get ready and point their cameras at the door as they seemed to put themselves between the exit and the car, eager to get a picture before Violet grinned and went to the check out desk to get their Land Rover she rented for them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who’s the limo for?” Barret asked Violet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whoever wants it- it’s like a taxi, but it’s a limo. If they’re for us, Phillip is under the impression that you only like the finer things in life and can’t imagine you’d go on a vacation with me and “slum it up” by driving a normal car or fly with normal people or anything, this is your chance to show off your wealth to me like a bird of paradise showing off it’s fancy plumage and dance, like he always does because he’s a show off. If it’s for a real celebrity, they’ll be grateful they got a limo and can travel in style.” Violet shrugged and just as they were done loading up their luggage and drove away, the limo got taken by another couple who were curious to see who the limo was for and finding that it was open to whoever wanted it- they readily took it to their own destination with their four rowdy children while the paparazzi seemed disappointed before one of them went into the airport to see if they could see anyone who fit the description of who they had been sent to photograph. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nicely done Vi.” Barret smiled as he happily drove them away as she pulled up their destination on their phone, choosing to stop for food before they would reach the castle they were going to be staying at. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, and I didn’t even have to use my powers.” Violet beamed happily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Phillip landed his plane and his phone started to ring. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello?” Phillip eagerly answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sir, we didn’t see them. We waited all day, we saw a limo come but a family took it and there are no more flights in, and Violet Parr was never a passenger on the flights, in fact the only people who fit the description were here for their ten year anniversary, they may have stayed in London and never came out here.” The paparazzi reported. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, then go there and see where you can find them. He’s a billionaire and he’s with my secretary, surely this is a scandal that’s worth something right?” Phillip pressed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course sir, we’ll find em.” He assured them before Phillip hung up the phone with a snarl. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile in Scotland, Violet and Barret were halfway through their dinner, their highlander grog and their flights of whiskies and talking and laughing the evening away as Violet was so happy when they clearly had no other tails and could continue on with their vacation like any normal pair. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know this took forever to update. My personal life went sideways and now that things are kinda calming down- I can come back. So woo! Also this probably feels like a filler chapter, it's meant to finish the foundations and get the spring set. Next chapter- the trap will get sprung! And whooo lordy, is it a fine one. The guillotine is ready my lords and ladies.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Twatwaffle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Twatwaffle Protocol may be the one thing that saves everyone from death and disaster.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Why So Jaded</p>
<p>Chapter 17</p>
<p>It wasn't until Dash found himself on the plane with Phillip, Violet and this "Tully" as Phillip and Violet both seemed to have been taking up calling him and seeing Violet sit with him and simply talk and hold hands and actually act like a couple that Dash tried figuring out why Tully looked so damn familiar, but not in a good way, like, an unsettling way. His voice was even somewhat familiar but Dash couldn't figure out why that was and Tully was obviously older than her, like, by like almost a decade by the looks of it.</p>
<p>Phillip was of course playing with a remote that controlled his girlfriend Cheseray's vibrator that was tucked into her underwear as she did her best to remain cool and collected but was flushed and trying to act overly normal.</p>
<p>But Dash's attention was torn between Tully and his new girlfriend, Vivian, he had ignored Violet's advice and pursued Vivian anyway and surprisingly, she said yes. She was after all, the most beautiful woman on the plane, if not the world and Vivian was, for as hot as she was, less shallow than he thought she'd be, she was actually a really cool person and really fun.</p>
<p>But what surprised him more was that Violet and Vivian were actually friends in real life and had been for quite some time and he was hurt and offended that she didn't try to introduce them sooner. They got their nails done together, their hair done together, went shopping together, went out to eat together and hung out regularly and Vivian was actually a close neighbor of Violet's because having Phillip as her main client along with several of his friends and one of his own personal favorites, she could afford to live lavishly too and Vivian disclosed to him that Violet had done her a few favors when Vivian had to deal with stalkers or dangerous clients, she said something to either Phillip or Violet or both of them and the problems always promptly went away and by "go away", either 'come up missing' or 'come up dead' kind of way. What really had both intrigued him and grossed him out was that Vivian said that Violet was a better, more graceful and more sultry dancer than her and had tricks that even she couldn't master which made him want to gag.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Violet couldn't help but be slightly on edge for this trip and even though she checked, double checked and triple checked, her gut and intuition told her that something was wrong and she even had a private twatwaffle protocol with everyone and everyone passed. But that didn't ease her fears, she had done this before with Veronica and Vivian, the only three new people in this equation was Dash, Cheseray and Barret, but she felt she could trust Barret. Cheseray was sweet, really, not that dangerous at all when she looked into her. Dash though, he was the wild card. But even Violet knew that appearances could be deceiving.</p>
<p>Even Leslie picked up on Violet's unease and asked if there was anything she could do to help, the sweet thing. But she still had a thousand and one things to do while they were gone and already had her hands overflowing kind of full and Violet didn't want to add to her load. Violet was at least comforted that at least when she left, Leslie would still help take care of Phill. With Barret, it was her first time being the direct liaison, Leslie always was before because Leslie was sweet and personable and incredibly thoughtful and with her eye for design she was always helping everyone with decorating or interior design and had such a good eye for little details and reading people easily and somehow always knew exactly what to get people and easily know and remember how everyone liked their coffee or tea or eating preferences and gave the best gifts for whatever she was invited to. She just made everyone's job around her easier and always seemed to handle everything perfectly. She was the proverbial 'mom friend' she said it came from a bad miscarraige and a bad accident when she was younger so she felt her own chance of motherhood was taken from her so she mothered the shit out of everyone around her, which was actually always appreciated. She even taught Violet a thing or two about being a good liaison and gave Violet the best advice about how to be Barret's liaison and Violet and herself worked remarkably well together, tag teaming flawlessly and such a close friend and confidant to everyone.</p>
<p>All Violet could do is realize that Dash was so much stupider than she thought he could be. She had warned him, outright, not to date Vivian. She even warned Vivian against her brother, both Vivian and Violet both knew how crazy and awful things could get with Phillip but Vivian seemed pretty determined herself because she felt an attraction to Dash and now that Phillip was dating Cheseray and hadn't needed her "services" in a while and even though Violet reminded Vivian that she had a hard enough time protecting herself from Phillip and she didn't know if she could protect them both and Dash, if Vivian's feelings were genuine and authentically her own towards Dash, it was still Vivian's choice. And all Violet could do was watch and see how it played out but she could also see Dash side eyeing Barret and wondered how long it would take for Dash to figure it out. Because as fast as he was, mentally he was really, <em>really slow</em>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Veronica Andrews was also in a seat nearby, she was training two handlers at once, one would be for Phillip, and the other would be Dash's. Their names were Michael and Dawson, teaching them the trade while Violet kept half of Phillip's full security detail for herself and Barret, putting Nelson in charge of everything for herself and Mr. Pine as Violet, Vivian and Veronica all watched as Cheseray came as quietly and discretely as she could as she squeezed Phillip's arm with almost a bruising grip to get him to turn the stupid thing off before she really made a scene and just before she nearly cried and whimpered as she physically squirmed, did he turn it off while Violet, Vivian and Verionica all gave each other meaningful looks.</p>
<p>Phillip sure did love to control everyone around them and loved to see them squirm in any way he could while they knew this wasn't about Cheseray's pleasure, it was all about Phillip's control and him flaunting it as Violet knew that at Phillip's earliest conveniences and whims, could he snap his fingers or say the word and have Viv, Vi and Veronica up on their toes to obey his every command while Violet was just relieved that she wasn't wearing a vibrator of her own this time.</p>
<p>Since Violet and Barret's little getaway, things had never been better between them as Violet was more sure now than ever before that when all this business with Phillip was over, it was Barret who she was going to choose because there was comparison between the two.</p>
<p>When they landed in Tokyo, the group still stayed in one big hotel with Nelson acting as Barret and Violet's handler.</p>
<p>"Ok, I'm going to go for a drink with Veronica and Viv ok, get some sleep, we got a big day tomorrow." Violet urged Barret before she left and joined up with the girls for a drink to gossip.</p>
<p>About 20 minutes later Barret had come out of the shower to see a very thin tablet slid under his door and it had IRize's logo on it as Barret frowned and picked it up before a little sensor popped up and scanned his face and then scanned the room as Barret inhaled sharply then held his breath before the surface went from opaque to a screen.</p>
<p>"Mr. Pine," John Clairborne greeted.</p>
<p>"Before you actually get too attached to Miss Parr, you should know the whole story…" John began before Barret sat down and watched every interaction Violet had with Phillip and everyone else before Barret even tried corporate espionage because it was clear that for months leading up to his attempt, Phillip and Violet were manipulating others and even sabotaging his own things so that he felt he had no choice but to try to break into Phillip's office to get that nano chip in the first place. They set a trap for him and he walked right into it. He watched all the footage and feed of their conversations before and after Violet and his own interactions. Violet had even disguised herself, but not very well and actually came to his compound, disguised as someone else and had corrupted and destroyed his work and data. And then it showed her own report on him to The Agency before he got to see her own file.</p>
<p>She was the master of all spies and had toppled entire governments. Her kill list was so long and passed in front of his eyes so fast, all he saw was a blur through his tears and it was like getting all the pieces all together so that when Violet was done with him and he had done everything her objective for him set out to do- she even had half a dozen kill plans in place- with dates and times and everything, even their little vacation to Scotland was in there as a potential kill plan. She had every weakness, every angle, everything about him, down to very intimate details that only she or even only Mirage would know. She already had him undone on paper and she knew exactly when and how she could do it.</p>
<p>She even had it all on Phillip too. She had it on everyone. Even her own parents and siblings. She was the epitome of a stone cold ruthless killer. No wonder Phillip practically fell in love with her, no wonder he had too, she had designed herself for any man or woman who came into contact with her would too with what she chose to show them. He even watched her early work- her first real big job was for a Russian mafia gang, led by Ivar Rathgood about five years ago, she was known as the <em>Moscow Doll</em>, and she would do strip burlesque in blood red macrame ropes and would dance and slowly but surely loop all that rope around her victim like a spider web, tying them to a chair with the beat of the music and just at the last beat she'd pull one rope and the whole thing would become taut and tied her victim to a chair and choked them to death as she strutted away, she did that for most of Ivar's enemies, there were hundreds of videos just like it, all of them the same, and she was barely 17 at the time. She should have been in high school and doing things like going to a mall or going to prom but no, she was a mafia's right hand woman doing his bidding. To say she was Mirage 2.0 wasn't even close or fair to either one, she was a creature all her own and worse than anyone or anything he had ever seen, she made his own sins of hunting supers seem not that bad by comparison and that was saying something. She was an assassin of the highest order and she could, at any moment kill everyone around her without anyone ever seeing it coming. She was her own weapon of mass destruction. She had even had a few miscarriages and abortions which made her current method of an IUD birth control possible and Barret thought that she was the biggest hypocrite for getting on Dash for having two kids out of wedlock. What were Dash's or even Phillip's crimes compared to her own? She had no room to talk or judge.</p>
<p>Was everything she had ever said to him a lie? A manipulation even when he asked her not to and she had agreed? She had sworn, promised and vowed. But clearly- it was just...all lies, and manipulations. Could she not help it now? Was it just the way she was? No wonder The Agency did everything in their power to keep her happy, because they knew, with one push in the wrong direction and she could bring everything down on everyone's heads? Especially theirs? Like catching a tiger by the tail, the second they let go, she was going to devour them next. Phillip and Violet were on their way to being the next Mr. and Mrs Bill Gates or Beyonce and Jay-Z.</p>
<p>The worst part of this was, was his apartment wasn't even his! Phillip and Violet had done to others what they had done to him and the reason it took three days for him hanging out in a cell of SEB's basement was because they were killing the current occupant and wiping the slate clean so to speak and cleaning out his current apartment and no wonder it was a "generic" style, it was meant to be! And Phillip and Violet even had one of his friends and a few other competitors lined up to keep the cycle going. It wasn't going to stop after him. He was the third of what was going to be about 15 other "projects" on their roster. This was never going to be a happily ever after, this was going to be a <em>happily never ever</em>.</p>
<p>Barret had never felt like more of a fool, more of an idiot before in his life. She was playing him like a damn fiddle! And she was playing him the way she played everyone else. How did he think he had a shot at being different? At being the one for her? Or she the one for him? The only real things about her was that death followed her wherever she went. And what really chilled him to the bone was that IRize, they also had them followed on that trip to make sure she didn't kill him, they were posing as the loud, nosey neighbors in the castle and on the plane. They had been followed and Violet couldn't spot them and neither could he. They were always followed by not just Phillip's people but his own, thank God. They were the only ones keeping him alive!</p>
<p>And then came the final nail in the coffin- when Violet's previous marks got wind of what was to come and had confronted her, she always used the same lines of 'what are you talking about?' 'that's insane' or 'you know that I love you and only you and we are going to get out of here and once I'm free from Phillip, we can be together forever, only you know the real Violet, only you know the truth about me' and then <em>pop, </em><strong>bang</strong><em>, <strong>dead</strong></em>. Neck twisted, injected with poision, shot, the floor drops, the curtains fall, the actress leaves the stage, sometimes sauntering, strutting or just plain walking off, <em>reset</em>. <em>Over</em> and <strong>over</strong> and <em><strong>over </strong></em>again.</p>
<p>Barret wasn't special, he was just the next in line. Even now her little 'mission's' she was running while he was in SEB, the reason why her headaches had been so fierce is because she was doing it again, getting the next prisoner, the next bird in a gilded cage primed and ready to go as soon as he had done all they wanted him to do, it was going to be all over.</p>
<p>And the stinger was- he had already started to integrate her into IRize too, not only was she in contract to gain everything when he died, but she had twice before and when he saw her stock portfolio, it was like looking at all the companies Disney owned, she had her fingers in every pie there was. And her contract even had another stage to it, at the end of her current one, if she stayed with Phillip, she was going to get 50% of everything. Even if she married him without a prenup, she would still get 50%. There was even a video showing her reading the actual contract. She hadn't signed it yet but she read it and her face was unreadable, if anything she was indifferent, just a little shrug and a shake of her head. No wonder Phillip kept his powers to himself, his own powers were the only thing keeping her from killing him off too.</p>
<p>So what did Barret have that would keep her from killing him off? Nothing. She had everything to gain from his death. She was going to kill him, plain and simple, it was just a matter of when.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Phillip had finally fucked Cheseray practically into a coma and was sitting in the livingroom part of his suite and watched an electronic pad of all the interactions Violet had had with Barret and all of her own history that he had never had the clearance to know and felt sick as his worst fears were coming true. She had played him the way she had played everyone else in her career. He even saw a contract that he did not authorize to have drawn up where if she worked for him for another five years after her contract was up in a year and a half, that she would be getting half of everything he had, everything he owned. Even if he married her without a prenup- she would get half of everything he had while he would never see a dime of any of the money she had. He had always hoped that his own fortune would entice her to stay but her greed now exceeded his own. He had created a monster and invited her into his life and she wasn't going to leave without taking her huge bite out of him. He officially had the tiger by the tail, if he let go, she was going to devour him next.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Dash stared in abject horror at the screen. There was his childhood nightmare- having sex with his sister. Not to mention- his sister officially was the scariest motherfucker on the planet. How could his sister know exactly how to kill him and everyone else in his family? Even Jack? Even his own sons? How had his sister gone from shy girl to dominatrix killer in just five yeras? The Agency had killed his sister and replaced her with a monster, a weapon of mass destruction and she was fucking their childhood archnemisis? And she was the one that nearly brought home several babies of her own and gave herself poison to miscarry on purpose. It would have been better if she had just died. Because who had come back in her place, wasn't his sister. It was a monster.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Buddy had drunk himself into an angry stupor and was stewing in the bed as he was so drunk he didn't care if Violet killed him tonight or not, he actually preferred if she did and just get it over with. He had never been so angry or hurt in his life. How could he have been so naive to think a monster like Violet would ever settle down with a guy like him?</p>
<p>Meanwhile Violet was drinking with Veronica and Vivian at a private booth in the corner.</p>
<p>"God I've never been so grateful not to be Phillip's current flavor of the week, that was embarrassing." Vivian confessed, referring to the little stunt Phillip pulled with Cheseray on the plane with the vibrator.</p>
<p>"Yeah that was rather brutal." Violet admitted.</p>
<p>"And that's why I never cross that line with clients." Veronica said pointedly.</p>
<p>"So in other news, How are things with Mr. Pine?" Veronica changed the subject, turning to Violet.</p>
<p>"Now is it Barret or Tully? I'm confused, because I thought you always called him Buddy?" Viv asked.</p>
<p>"For Phillip, it's Tully, for his friends it's Buddy but just for me- it's Barret." Violet answered.</p>
<p>"And? Get to the good part, because I've seen you and him, this is the closest to real as you've been with a guy since we've been friends." Viv inquired.</p>
<p>"On the record- it's good." Violet answered.</p>
<p>"And off?" Veronica prodded.</p>
<p>"It's fantastic." Violet sighed dreamily.</p>
<p>"Oooh, I know that grin and that smile- that's the real deal there." Vivian cheered.</p>
<p>"It's the realest thing ever, he's the first real person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing with Phill it's mind games, with everyone else it's also mind games and power plays and manipulations but with Barret- it's just...it's just us. He's...he's ironically- everything I've ever wanted, real, genuine, self sufficient, he takes better care of me than I do myself." Violet confessed.</p>
<p>"Which is saying something because you take care of yourself more than anyone else."</p>
<p>"That's true." Violet confessed.</p>
<p>"So he's not going to be the next Mr. Wilkins." Veronica asked.</p>
<p>"No, I'll spring him free myself if I have to. I'm not doing all this again. Now Veronica, you're more than welcome to pick up my mantle when I'm done but after this, I'm done, I'm out, no mas- no more." Violet insisted.</p>
<p>"So what made you change your mind?" Veronica asked.</p>
<p>"Him. With Barret, I feel like I'm getting my soul back, and my feeling and my conscience and my whole self, not just the bits and pieces of myself I've compartmentalized over the years." Violet answered.</p>
<p>"Have you told him the big whole story yet?" Veronica asked.</p>
<p>"...no. I've told him as much as I can in good conscience because I don't want him to be a target or know so much that it puts him in danger, but I've told him all I can for now. I want to tell him everything but while I'm still under contract and while he's still under contract, I can't. But once it's all over in a year and a half, and he's free and I'm free, then I will and if stays then he's welcome to but if he decides to go, I'll be heartbroken but I'm not going to force him to stay. I'll forfeit everything I have back to him that belongs to him, like all his stocks in IRize and all that. But Vers, I'm counting on you to keep us both safe or at least give me a heads up if either of us ever becomes a target again so I can at least get us both to safety." Violet urged.</p>
<p>"I got you Gurl." Veronica urged.</p>
<p>"Same here, I owe you, I don't know how many favors by now." Viv added.</p>
<p>"Thank you." Violet smiled in relief.</p>
<p>"So, tell me about Scotland." Veronica prodded.</p>
<p>"So we went as Mr. and Mrs. Pine and let me tell you, it was the greatest vacation of my life and hopefully the first of many to come…" Violet eagerly giggled as she recounted the whole vacation to her friends.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Leslie whose real name was actually Larissa, Larissa Rathgood to be precise, cackled in delight as she watched from her own phone of Phillip, Dash and Barret all watch all the feeds and videos and files she had put together for them. Ever since Violet infiltrated her brother Ivar's mafia, and killed him five years prior- she vowed to avenge her brother and take control and build an empire of her own that would overshadow all of even Ivar's wildest dreams, finally, after all this time of posing as a sweet, innocent assistant and confidant for everyone at SEB Industries and everywhere else Violet had been, transforming herself over and over again so that even Violet couldn't know it was really her, she was going to have her revenge on all of them. Being the "non-threatening" confidant, no one suspected her of anything and so she gained power and traction without anyone noticing and knew everyone's secrets and being the interior decorator, she had bugs in everything she touched. Bugs that even Violet couldn't sense. She had piggy backed on Violet and Phillip's access at The Agency and all the security everywhere and from there, it had been child's play for her to orchestrate everything, picking valuable targets and competition and having Violet and Phillip do all the dirty work and pay for it all while she worked them both as she simply got everyone's coffee and drycleaning and helped decorate office spaces and apartments. Being a mimic, she had mimicked Violet for the last five years, using Violet's 'disappearing acts' to do her most damage in Violet's name and especially since Violet had a 'blackout' order from The Agency along with a catalog of looks she used to go undercover. And with Larissa being a mimic, she could mimic all of them and all of her work got erased and blacked out too, half of the kills on Violet's record, which she rarely ever read or looked at, actually belonged to Larissa, she just let Violet take credit for it, she was the one that even put together the lists for future projects and she knew that Violet had finally had had enough and was now longer useful to her "game" and had gotten "soft" and no fun any more. So now she was going to pull out the rug from Violet and have all eyes and guns- pointed at Violet. Just like the way Violet had done with Ivar. What had really sealed the deal for her was to find out that Ivar had gotten Violet pregnant and Violet had actually wanted to keep it and stay with her brother, but finding out that Violet was a spy and that The Agency would most likely make her abort the baby anyway, even as far along as Violet got- she made it easy for Violet by giving her medicine to cause a miscarraige and make it seem like Ivar had done it himself. Because by that point, Ivar had gotten soft for Violet, his <em>little Moscow Doll</em>. So she simply sat back and let "nature take its course" from a safe distance.</p>
<p>It had been all too easy for Larissa to do actually. First she had gone to Mr. Nelson's house to drop off his own drycleaning that morning after saying goodbye to Violet that morning and had incapacitated him via drugging his coffee, just the way he liked it, three creamers, three sugars with a shot of caramel, then she tied him up and left his house as him and gone through all the motions as him and since his "twatwaffle" protocol was in the system, she knew it and answered it with ease with Violet when she had come to work as Nelson. And when Violet, Vivian and Veronica had left to go get drinks, she simply slipped those electronic pads under the doors with the correct corresponding logos for their trusted companies and now she laid in the bed and watched as all of them became disenfranchised, suspicious, angry and freaked out. The hardest thing was of course to make tech that would spy on Violet without Violet's very sensitive powers to pick up on it, but once she did, boy oh boy did she use it, <em>with everyone</em>. She was going to enjoy watching it all fall apart and implode before it exploded, all while she would get a clean get away and no one would be coming after her, not unless they wanted themselves exposed with everything she not only had on them but was able to fabricate and weave it so perfectly with the truth, that all of it seemed like the gospel truth.</p>
<p>Although doing this with Veronica after Violet was swiftly disposed of would be harder because Veronica didn't trust anyone, not even "Leslie". But she was sure she could wear her down eventually.</p>
<p>When Violet, Vivian and Veronica came back to their rooms, Phillip appeared to be fast asleep, as did Dash and Barret although the very strong scent of alcohol could be smelled in all three of the rooms.</p>
<p>Violet and Vivian simply tried to silently slip into their beds. Dash, immediately upon feeling the movement, jumped but upon recognizing Vivian, desperately pulled her into his arms and clung to her.</p>
<p>"You ok?" Vivian asked.</p>
<p>"Yeah, just...had a bad nightmare." Dash tried to play off.</p>
<p>"Want to talk about it?" Viv inquired as she hugged him back and held him because she could sense he was really anxious.</p>
<p>"No." Dash insisted.</p>
<p>"Ok. Well I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. If you need to talk, I'm willing to listen." Viv offered.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Violet got into bed and tried to spoon Barret who was curled up in the fetal position on his side of the bed and Barret wanted to just roll over onto her and really hated how his body betrayed him by melting into her touch and he really hated how all he wanted to do was roll over and hold her and beg her to come clean about all of it. And when she kissed between his shoulder blades and murmured her 'goodnight Barret I love you' Barret wanted nothing more than to start a fight and call her a liar. But he was too tired and too drunk and too angry, so he just continued to pretend to be asleep while Phillip laid in his own bed and tried to mentally do acrobatics trying to figure out how he was going to get out of this alive and keep his inheritance safe from Violet. He had wanted to kick himself for not seeing her oh so subtle and masterful manipulations, her acts, her many faces and none of them real as he instantly regretted even hiring her. How Leslie had actually searched and found her and made it seem like Violet was going to solve all his problems and how Leslie had told him that all he needed to do is turn off Miss Murder and turn on his perfect match was "love her like no one had" and Leslie even insisted that he and Violet were going to be the next Beyonce and Jay-Z, and they were goign to be so happy. Oh how wrong she had been! He just should have stuck with Veronica. He would have been better off just getting her and leaving Violet alone in Hong Kong. How had he not seen any of this coming?</p>
<p>The next day at the expo, Violet noticed that Barret was unusually short, cold and snippy.</p>
<p>"Babe, seriously, what is going on?" Violet demanded as she paused in putting on her makeup to stare at Barret who was pouting on the sofa.</p>
<p>"Nothing, just...had a bad dream that's all. Sorry." Barret tried to excuse.</p>
<p>"One hell of a bad dream then." Violet muttered and Barret simply huffed in indignation.</p>
<p>"Who's Ivar?" Barret suddenly demanded.</p>
<p>"Ivar? Like...Ivar the Boneless off of Vikings?" Violet returned in confusion.</p>
<p>"No, Ivar Rathgood, you said his name in your sleep, several times now." Barret suddenly accused as Violet dropped her makeup from her hands as she fumbled trying to catch them before they slipped off her fingertips and clattered all over the place which for Barret was a dead ringer.</p>
<p>"I...I have?" Violet asked because she hadn't had a dream about Ivar in...forever. She used to all the time but since she had been getting close to Barret, they had become a lot less frequent.</p>
<p>"Yeah, so who is Ivar Rathgood?" Barret asked.</p>
<p>"He's an ex of mine, from way, way back." Violet confessed.</p>
<p>"What happened?" Barret prodded.</p>
<p>"A lot," Violet sighed tiredly but was confused as to why Barret would suddenly take issue with an ex. Barret was usually, typically, not jealous.</p>
<p>"Like what would constitute as "a lot"?" Barret asked.</p>
<p>"Why does it matter so much to you?" Violet pressed as she simply went for something simple in makeup so she didn't have to keep doing it before she returned to Barret and sat on the couch with him and turned in her seat to face him.</p>
<p>"It just does." Barret answered defensively.</p>
<p>"Well, officially, everything that happened between Ivar and myself is under classified at The Agency because Ivar Rathgood was my first objective for my first solo assignment and mission for The Agency, he was a mafia boss in Moscow, Russia. I was assigned to be his lover. My cover was an injured ballerina who had to make a living stripping at his club, we got close, I did my job, I left. That was about five years ago. I can't give you any more details than that, you know I can't, not unless I retire first, which will be another year and a half. Why is this an issue for you?" Violet asked.</p>
<p>"Because you keep saying the russian word for 'baby' in your dreams too." Barret accused as Violet inhaled deeply through her nose and instantly tensed before she forced herself to relax.</p>
<p>"Fine, you know what? I'll tell you why, this information can get you killed but if it will ease your concience, I always say "baby" because he got me pregnant with a little boy, who was going to be named Alexi had I carried him full term, and then he caused me to miscarry, at <em>20 weeks</em> <em>along</em>. It was particularly brutal and traumatic because I, <em>at 17</em>, thought I was in love with him and wanted to say 'screw you' to The Agency and stay with him and be his Moscow Doll forever. But then Ivar showed his true colors and I guess, wasn't as ready to be a dad as he had previously shown me he was, he made me miscarry via switching out my prenatal vitamins for a russian form of Plan B meant to destroy fetus' past the 12 week mark, then he had the audacity to blame me for the miscarraige when at the hospital, they found traces of the plan B in my blood system and he thought I did it and caused harm to Alexi because I wasn't ready to be a mom which wasn't true at all, I was bound and determined and I felt at the time that I was more than ready and willing but Ivar had other plans, which made my original objective of taking him out a lot easier for me to do in the long run and it set me down this path. He was my first big betrayal and I have never been the same since. But because I carried Alexi as long as I did, I now get to have an IUD birth control ever since so that that particular situation would never happen to me again and it's why I'm so close to Jack because when I came home from that mission, he reminded me of what Alexi would have been, had I been able to carry him full term, and it's why I'm so hard on Dash for having two boys with two different women and not being faithful to either one's mother because children should never, <em>ever,</em> <strong>ever</strong> have to pay for the sins of their parents. And it's why I have at least seven contingency plans and safety nets in place for Jack, Dash Jr and Dillon and trust funds for all of them and I spoil all of them and it's why I pay the majority of their preschool fees and school clothes and school supplies and it's why I'm as close and fiercely protective of them as I am and God help anyone who ever wants to bring them harm because I will absolutely kill them without hesitation. It's why I'm protective of my family in general because they are all I have besides you. Are you happy now? Satisfied? Otherwise, get the stick that's shoved up your ass out." Violet spat defensively before she got up and finished getting ready before Barret and Violet wouldn't say another word to each other all day or the rest of their stay.</p>
<p>But Violet was too upset at Barret being upset that she didn't notice how Phillip and Dash also seemed pissed and weary of her too and it wasn't until the expo was done and they were all flying home the next day when Veronica pulled Vivian and Violet aside.</p>
<p>"Ok, what the fuck is going on? Because none of the boys are acting right." Veronica urged.</p>
<p>"Dash said he had a bad nightmare, he hasn't been himself but he won't tell me anything." Vivian confessed.</p>
<p>"I apparently had a nightmare about Alexi and I said Ivar's name in my sleep and it set Barret off for some reason. So I told him the truth and he's been a bratty, bitchy bastard ever since and I can't make heads or tails of why it would piss him off, but it's pissing me off." Violet confessed.</p>
<p>"Holy fucking shit, wow. Really? You keep having nightmares about Alexi? Oh you poor thing." Vivian comforted as the three gave each other a big group hug.</p>
<p>"But that doesn't explain why Phillip is freaking out. He's projecting a lot of fear and anxiousness onto everyone. Cheseray is about biting her whole fingernails off." Veronica noted before Violet and Vivian both looked at each other with a confused frown.</p>
<p>"...yeah, he has. That's weird." Vivian realized.</p>
<p>"...and it's me, he's freaked out about me, I can feel it, I was too pissed off at Barret to notice before, holy shit it's making my stomach churn." Violet realized as she felt a waive of nausea.</p>
<p>"Something has been off about this whole trip though." Veronica insisted.</p>
<p>"Yeah! You're right, but I can't figure it out." Violet confessed before her phone rang and it was from Nelson's house.</p>
<p>"Hello?" Violet answered.</p>
<p>"Violet! Twatwaffle!" Nelson yelled into the phone as Violet's eyes snapped open.</p>
<p>"Glitternugget." Violet answered.</p>
<p>"We have a mimic! It's Leslie! Leslie came to me yesterday to drop off my suit, she drugged my coffee and I woke up tied to my chair and I just now was able to break free! Where are you?!" Nelson demanded.</p>
<p>"Over the pacific, on our way home." Violet paled.</p>
<p>"Leslie is a mimic, she mimicked me. I'm here at home. If I'm with you in the plane, it's not me!" Nelson immediately said before Violet dropped the phone and pointed two guns at Vivian and Veronica.</p>
<p>"Twatwaffle." Violet demanded.</p>
<p>"Midnight Sparkle, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash." Vivian immediately answered with her hands up as Veronica did the same thing that Violet did and pointed her guns at Violet and Vivian in turn.</p>
<p>"Pumpernickle, Rye and Soda." Veronica answered.</p>
<p>"Glitternugget, Goldmember, Unicorn barf." Violet answered.</p>
<p>"Fuck! Mimic, we have a mimic, Nelson just called me from home and said Leslie was a mimic and came as him, we gotta check everyone, we've been sabotaged!" Violet ordered as Vivian took Veronica's extra gun and all three came barreling out of the bathroom and Veronica did the twatwaffle protocol three layers deep since only the first was actually in the system as Phillip, Barret and Dash all panicked as Violet became invisible and went to the downstairs of the jet and found "Nelson" getting his parachute on.</p>
<p>"Twatwaffle!" Violet demanded with her gun pointed at his head that was wearing a helmet already.</p>
<p>"Aww, wow, I'm surprised it took you this long to find out." "Nelson" cooed.</p>
<p>"Who are you?" Violet demanded as she stalked closer.</p>
<p>"What? You don't remember me Kukla?" Larissa said as she transformed into her brother as Violet didn't hesitate but shot him in the head but the bullet bounced off the helmet before she reshot and hit him in the eye before "Ivar" transformed back into Larissa, the real Larissa and started cussing Violet out in Russian as she pressed the detonator before the back hatch of the jet blew off.</p>
<p>"Your choice Doll, get me or save your new friends." Larissa spat before Violet noticed her pin on on her suit started beeping really fast before she realized that everyone's pins were armed into becoming an explosive and just as she pulled hers off and threw it away, it exploded, causing Larissa to eject out of the plane as Violet made a mad dash to the upper level and was screaming 'bomb!" at the top of her lungs over and over again just as everyone's pins started beeping, making everyone else try to get them off of them before other explosives went off in the plane, hidden in all the different compartments and seats, a neon blue dust suddenly filling the cabin and the second the dust touched anything, it dissolved it by super heating it before other explosions blew the plane apart right there in the sky and Violet's super suit was the only thing that was able to combat the blue powder as it fought to keep Violet safe as they all plummeted in the wreckage as Violet and Veronica were the only ones able to combat it.</p>
<p>"Veronica! Barrel of monkeys!" Violet yelled as she tried to use her powers to yo-yo and capture everyone and pull them towards Veronica who used her own powers to keep everyone together as Violet began going through trying to get everyone using Veronica as the main tether but the way it exploded, she couldn't get to either her brother or Barret.</p>
<p>"VSS! Inject 816S now!" She ordered her suit since VSS stood for Violet's Super Suit.</p>
<p>"Strongly illadvised, the results will be a fatal inflamation of your central cortex, chances of surviving are less than 17% if you inject all of it, it is better to inject in either thirds or fourths if absolutely necessary, however the calculations of everyone surviving are currently 5% and falling." VSS argued.</p>
<p>"Do it! Inject a third!" Violet ordered.</p>
<p>"Injecting a third of available dose, the chances of survival are 68%" VSS said as Violet felt the injection into her spine from the suit as she tried to get to her brother first because he was the closest as it allowed her to fly through the air and keep ahold of the cluster of others before she shot her yo-yo like bubble at her brother and barely got his outstretched arm before she used all her power to pull him towards the group and into the main force field before she focused on getting Barret.</p>
<p>"I need more, inject the rest of it!" Violet ordered her suit as she tried to fly towards Barret with one hand while her own tether to the group stretched to it's max.</p>
<p>"But chances of you surviving a second dose go down to 34%." VSS argued.</p>
<p>"Do it!" Violet demanded.</p>
<p>"Injecting the second third of available 816S." VSS announced as it was injected and Violet could use her now enhanced powers to get to Barret and manage to grab him by her yoyo and pull him to her and then able to pull them back to the group.</p>
<p>"Gotcha." Violet said as she was able to wrap her arm around Barret as he grabbed onto her as Barrent immediately noticed Violet's nose and ears were bleeding as the whites of her eyes were glowing like a flashlight before Violet pushed Barret in with everyone else, Veronica on one side of him and Pike on the other side of him as Violet manuvered herself to the middle of the group and tried to manipulate the forcefield to turn it into a gliding plane like shape and tried to guide it towards the speck of land she could see in the ocean but her strength was running out.</p>
<p>"VSS, inject 816S, inject the last of it!" Violet screamed into her suit.</p>
<p>"Chances of surviving are 17%!" VSS pleaded.</p>
<p>"Do it or chances of anyone and everyone surviving are 0! Engage endgame protocol 1." Violet screeched back before VSS obeyed and injected the last of the 816S super serum into her bloodstream and used it's connection to all available satellites to do as Violet ordered as Violet was able to steer her force field closer towards the island in the vast ocean before all the air was spent in the bubble as she let it go so she could get more, fresh air before reforming it around everyone, forming a stabilizing force field around everyone as she changed the outer forcefield into a spinning top shape with wide "wings" so that the whole thing started spinning fast yet decellerating as much as it could, the point sharp so that when they landed in the ocean, it wouldn't break and would soften the impact so that everyone could survive it.</p>
<p>But by now, Violet's eyes were bleeding so profusely, she couldn't see through her own blood, even when her own blood did this rolling wave of invisibility thing, because each and every single blood cell was going in and out of invisibility on it's own, like a wave traveling through all the blood itself as even her ears were bleeding, her nose was bleeding profusely too as she started choking on her own blood that streaked out of her mouth as she screamed at the top of her lungs because this was hurting her worse than anything ever had as her whole life flashed in front of her mind's eye as she put the last of her strength into ensuring everyone's survival as everyone else couldn't help but just watch in awed horror as she clearly sacrificed herself for them as the cone shape hit the water, the inner braces by her forcefields and the way she designed the force field taking the mass brunt of the impact as the forcefield was forced below the surface of the water by over a hundred feet before she tried to use the last of her strength to use what air was in the forcefield as buoyancy and bring it to the surface but just 15 feet from the surface, everything faded to black for her.</p>
<p>Barret and everyone else had been coaching her and trying to encourage her to hold on but when the light faded from her eyes and her body went limp and the forcefield popped like a bubble and everyone took a deep breath as everything Violet had created vanished in an instant as they all tried grabbing her and swimming her to the surface, taking turns and once they all broke the surface, they all tried working together to carry her and pull her to the little island in the distance which was only half a mile away as the ocean burned their new burns from the blue powder on their skin as they managed to work together to get to the island before they all took turns doing CPR to bring her back, all of them sobbing because even though Dash and Barret and Phillip had grudges against her, they realized that they didn't matter, Violet gave her life to save their collective asses and now they needed to save her.</p>
<p>"Come on Violet, you can wake up, don't die on me." Dash pleaded as he did his best to administer CPR as everyone else took their break from doing it as Barret was the first to notice that the suit he had made for her wasn't regenerating. As long as the suit could tell that she was showing signs of life, it would regenerate, but now, it seemed frozen, in a stasis and he didn't want to admit it as Phillip used his powers to reach out as he placed his hands on either side of Violet's head and couldn't feel her anymore. <em>She was gone.</em> Even her blood stopped turning invisible as it simply pooled around her.</p>
<p>"What are you doing Phill?" Cheseray asked.</p>
<p>"Feeling to see if Violet's still there, she's not. She's gone." Phillip confessed.</p>
<p>"What do you mean <em>feeling</em>?" Dash demanded as he stubbornly continued to do chest compressions.</p>
<p>"Dash, I have powers, I can feel and sense people, there's nothing here for me to sense." Phillip finally confessed in a broken sob.</p>
<p>"And her suit isn't regenerating. I built that suit that as long as it sensed she was alive, it would regenerate and keep her safe. Look, it's not doing anything. Even the suit can sense she's still alive, she's gone Dash." Barret confessed as he knelt next to Violet and stared at her seemingly lifeless body as he sobbed too. Wishing he had never watched what was on that tablet, wishing he never treated her so coldly in their last moments together. If she had really wanted him to die, she would have abandoned him in the air and saved everyone else, but no, she risked everything, her own life, just to save his.</p>
<p>"Bullshit! Both of you! She's not gone! We can't give up on her! She can't be dead! No! She's not done yet!" Dash screamed angrily before he sat in the sand and sobbed as he tried breathing into her again but even Violet's own cuts stopped bleeding.</p>
<p>"Violet come on! Wake up! Come back! You can't leave me, you can't leave us! Not like this! You are the strongest out of all of us. You're a survivor, survive this shit damn it!" Dash roared before as a last resort he rolled her over to her side and watched as all this blood that had accumulated in her throat spill out of her throat before he stood up and noticed that at least the suit material between his legs was still intact before he grabbed it and put it between his hands and rubbed them together so hard, so fast it created a big bolt of static electricity before he put the two pads of cloth to her back like a set of defibrillator pads and that seemed to jump start her before her whole body jerked before she inhaled and started coughing and sputtering new blood but everyone came around and watched as the new blood that came out of her started pulsing with invisibility as they kept her on her side and let everything come out of her before she started throwing up almost uncontrollably as her bowels let loose but Barret sighed in relief when the suit reactivated and Phillip did the same when mentally he could sense her come back but could feel the unholy level of pain because her brain was swelling in her skull.</p>
<p>"Her brain is swelling in her skull. It's like an overfilled water balloon, it's gonna pop." Phillip said as he kept his hands on her skull before Barret found one of the AI patches in her suit and accessed it.</p>
<p>"VSS, is there a way to bring the pressure down in Violet's skull?" Barret demanded as he kicked into 'fix it' gear.</p>
<p>"Yes, she needs to have a spinal tap, the pressure in her spinal chord is 40 points above safety levels." VSS answered before Violet lost control of her bowels and her body as it twitched before a balloon formed at the base of her skull where the suit had created it's own little pocket for the fluid and once administered Violet passed out again, the suit also maintaining some compounds to administer medical assistance.</p>
<p>"Ms. Parr's condition is stable. Putting her into a coma until help can arrive. Levels of 816S are abnormally high, Agent Parr was warned her survival rate of injection was less than 17% for the whole dose because of the inflammation of her central cortex would be fatal, and I made the suggestion that the whole dose be broken down into thirds, since her survival rate after the first third was 68%, the second injection survival rate would be 34% but the last dose would be 17% with a 98% chance of permanent damage to her spinal cord, causing permanent paralysis, with a 78% chance of her becoming a parapalegic and a 72% chance of becoming a quadrapalegic. However the calculations of anyone surviving the fall was only .2%. So she had me implement Endgame Protocol 1 which has already been uploaded."</p>
<p>"What's Endgame Protocol 1?" Dash asked as Barret and Phillip both looked worriedly to each other.</p>
<p>"Endgame protocol 1- Code name- Death With Grace. All of Mr. Sebastians gifts and assets given to Ms. Parr will be returned, as will Mr. Pine's and all contracts have been fulfilled with Ms. Parr either dying or becoming permanently injured in the line of duty. While Mr. Dashhold Parr's, Mr. Dash Jr Parr, Mr. Dillon Parr and Mr. Jack Parr, Ms. Helen Parr, Mr. Robert Parr's trust funds have been immediately matured and are being paid out. Farewell videos previously recorded by Ms. Parr have also been released. Ms. Violet Parr also has uploaded a declassification video, specifying her career, objectives, targets and missions for the Agency and recounting her life from date of entry into Superhero work until as of two days ago and her last debrief has been delivered to Mr and Mrs. Parr to do with as they please since all parties mentioned will split all property and fortunes Ms. Parr has accumulated evenly. All videos are tamper proof and have been sealed and locked behind every encoding measure possible." VSS reported as everyone simply sat in the sand around Violet as they took that in.</p>
<p>"You know whose falt this is right?" Veronica spoke up.</p>
<p>"Who?" Everyone but Vivian asked.</p>
<p>"Leslie, on the plane, before the explosion, Nelson called Violet, told her that Leslie came to him that morning to drop off his drycleaning and poisoned his coffee, she tied him up and mimicked him and he had just gotten free, however long ago it's been since we crashed. It feels like hours but it probably hasn't even been one hour. Leslie may not even be Leslie, she may be a mimic in Leslie's place, the real Leslie may be in the same state that Nelson is in."</p>
<p>"Oh fuck." Barret and Phillip both realized at the same time.</p>
<p>"You mean what I saw on the video on that really thin pad slid under my door wasn't real? It was Leslie?" Dash asked.</p>
<p>"What pad?!" Veronica and Vivian demanded.</p>
<p>"While you girls went out drinking, a pad with The Agency's logo was on it, it showed all these videos and documents of all these kill plans and basically showed Violet as a weapon of mass destruction." Dash confessed.</p>
<p>"Did you…" Dash asked Phillip who covered his mouth with his hands and stared in horror at the sand.</p>
<p>"I also got a pad slipped under my door only mine had the The Agency's logo on it. After Cheseray went to sleep, I watched it. It was from the Director, giving me a heads up that Violet was about to kill me, I saw the kill plans, I even saw how if she didn't kill me, if she was going to stay, she'd take everything, at least half of everything." Phillip confessed.</p>
<p>"I got one too, only mine was made to look like it was from IRize, from someone else I trusted, saying the same thing. She was gonna kill me, why would Leslie do that?" Barret wondered.</p>
<p>"If Leslie is a mimic, she could be from anywhere and anyone, Violet has a list of enemies longer than my arm. Any of them could have done this. But if they purposefully did everything in their power to turn all of us against her so that even if she didn't die in that crash, we would want to kill her ourselves." Veronica realized.</p>
<p>"But if Leslie had everyone try to turn on Violet, that means that Violet must have had everyone turn on them at one point in the past right? Does anyone know her history enough to know if any of her missions had her turn everyone against her target? That could be a starting point." Cheseray pointed out as everyone turned to her in surprise.</p>
<p>"I think the thing to do is once we get rescued and taken back to civilization, look at that declassification video, anything that you guys saw that she doesn't cover in that video, was clearly a fabrication. And then it's just a matter of finding the culprit and hunting them down." Vivian insisted.</p>
<p>"Until then- let's get healed up ourselves." Barret insisted as he took off a panel off her forearms and legs and handed them out.</p>
<p>"What are we doing with these?" Cheseray asked as she held hers up.</p>
<p>"It's part of her suit, put it on your skin and it'll create your own supersuit out of it since we're clearly half naked and hurt and it'll at least help with the burns." Barret dictated, following the procedure until everyone was covered in a supersuit of their own that immediately started cleaning and healing everyone as Barret laid down in the sand with Violet and held her hand as everyone else simply did their best to make something of a shelter as they all waited for about two hours before they were rescued by The Agency, Helen, Bob and Jack being the first off the plane to get to Violet as Violet was loaded up into a stretcher and taken back to the mainland.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Larissa was losing a battle between herself and a school of sharks who came at the scent of her blood in the water once she managed to land in the water in the middle of the ocean because the explosion had destroyed her little pack of equipment for her to get a clean getaway before a great white shark came and finished the job that Violet started.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ya'll. I tried so hard to keep Leslie's real identity a secret. And even though it's true that Phillip has issues and fauts and sins, as does everyone else, those will get dealt with but the real enemy has been hiding in plain sight this whole time. Hopefully this was not a 'oh that's not fun, there was no way anyone could have seen that coming, this doesn't make any sense' but rather a 'HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS COMING' kind of reveal and the guillotine was actually a great white shark- Phillip is still going to get what's coming to him, as is everyone else but I've had that ending planned since...like chapter four. Like I've waited 13 long chapters to finally go 'tada!'. Hopefully it was fun, and exciting and maybe at least a little heartwrenching as any good plot twist is.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Aftermath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A few of the messages Violet had previously recorded get sent to their intended recipients as they all deal with the aftermath.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Chapter 18</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>On the way back to civilization, Phillip was handed a device where an alert was shown into his inbox from The Agency before he grabbed a pair of headphones and plugged them in and pressed play. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi Phill, if you’re seeing this, it means I’ve died in the line of duty and probably did so trying to protect you.” Violet said into the camera as Phillip’s eyes once again grew glassy with tears as he looked from the video of Violet to her laid out on the stretcher as a team of medical personnel attended to her before he turned back to his screen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know there were lots of things that we never got to say so I just wanted to give myself this opportunity to say them.” VIolet continued before she scooted a notepad she seemed to have several things written on closer to herself as she was in her office at The Agency and he noticed that the date of this recording was only a few days ago, before they left for Tokyo. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m actually really happy and grateful you found me and pulled me out of Hong Kong. I know in the beginning, I wished you hadn’t but because you did, I got a second chance to reconnect with my family and most importantly, myself. You gave me a purpose and let me protect you when everything I had ever done before was destroy everything I touched, because I was lost in an ocean of hurt and doubt and I had tried to hide away from the world, trying to protect it from it’s greatest danger- me. And you’ve been more than a boss to me, you’ve been a friend too, a friend with some amazing benefits but, despite everything, still a good one.” She managed to say before she looked down at the pad. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“However the reason I’m doing this is so I can explain to you why it was never going to be more than friends. And those reasons are because you always denied what you were- which is a Super. Phillip, you are a Super with some really remarkable abilities, abilities I wish I had. And because of your own abilities that you refused to acknowledge let alone, disclose to me while using said abilities on me, meant I could never fully trust you and it also meant that because you never disclosed them to me, that that meant that there was even more still that you were never going to disclose to me which meant that there were always levels of secrecy between us and for me, our relationship was always just one big mind game, an exhausting one. And it’s because you used your powers on me both with and without my consent and you projected this ideal of this super sexy assassin onto me, that you never really made an effort to get to know the real Violet. And you left me with little choice but to try to live up to this ideal of “Miss Parr” who was who you wanted me to be. And it’s because I was always in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Miss Parr mode</span>
  </em>
  <span>- that the real me never got a chance to shine through. And who Miss Parr and who the real Violet is- are two different people. And you tried to buy me off and buy my love instead of earning it with trust and respect that is the reason I withheld myself from you. And it’s the reason why we were never going to work out. But I hope that after my death, that you’ll come to terms with who you really are as a person and what you really want and then go for that. I still wish you the best and happiness and success. But our paths were always meant to part ways after being together for a time. And the sooner you accept that, the better. Um, if Veronica survives me, she is my ideal replacement as your handler, if not I’ve also compiled another list of other candidates that might suit your needs. However I have released a video detailing your powers and abilities that will be shown to whoever takes my place so they know what they’re dealing with should they decide to take the job because the cycle of deception has to stop somewhere and it needs to stop with me so please understand that this isn’t punishment for being a Super, it’s not about that at all, its about you denying the fact that you are one and using your powers to manipulate everyone around you without their knowledge and consent- that that’s the problem.” Violet insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But that being said, it was really fun while it lasted. Goodbye Mr. Sebastian and thank you- for everything.” Violet said as she nodded to him and simply reached for the button and turned the feed off, leaving a sobered Phillip to just cry. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile Jack hadn’t wanted to watch his own video but watching the paramedics do everything in their power to save Violet and were having a hard time. He felt that maybe now was as good a time as any as he pulled out his phone and received the message sent to him via The Agency. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi Jack, if you’re seeing this, then that means I’ve died. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I’ll never get to see you grow up or see all the wonderful amazing things you’ll create and all the lives that you’ll touch and improve. You are so special and amazing and I know the world is in for a surprise when you decide what to do with your life.” Violet began to cry but her smile was still so proud, and so bright and adoring. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um. You’re about to get a lot of paperwork in the mail. I want you to know that there is some money that will be made available immediately, I want you to use that money to have fun, when you’re ready to have fun that is, go to Cedar Point or New York Fashion week or whatever, make your first real big collection if you want. I’m just sorry I won’t be around to see it, or wear it but if you can, get in touch with my friend Vivian, she should come to my funeral, she’ll happily be your model. Keep in touch with Barret, he’ll be a good mentor for you, if Mom and Dad will get over his past, but definitely stick with Edna. I’m sure she’s not done teaching you a thing or two. I love you so, so, so much and I’m already so proud of you. And I want you to know that it’s ok to hurt, and grieve and feel everything. And I’ve done everything I can to keep you safe. But when you’re ready, I want you to leave the nest, open your wings, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and soar</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You’re going to be the greatest Parr yet. I love you Jack. I’m going to miss you like crazy.” Violet offered before she blew one last kiss to the camera before she shut it off with a sad smile as Jack just sat between his parents and sobbed before he handed his phone to Dash. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet left a message for you, sign in with The Agency.” Helen told Dash as she consoled Jack before Dash took and signed in and saw the email with the video before he put in Jack’s earbuds and listened. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi Dash. If you’re watching this- it means I’ve died and probably in the line of duty. I want to clear the air and say I’m sorry I’ve been a bitch to you but I also want to explain why I’ve been so hard on you since I’ve come back when I found out that you had two sons by Ashley and Amy but you weren’t loyal to either one. And that’s because my first mission five years ago. My target was Ivar Rathgood, I was 17, he was 24, my cover was an injured ballerina turned into a stripper in his club as a way to get close to him. I was too young, too eager, too naive to dive head first into that mission. But within months, I fell in love with him, I got pregnant with a little boy, his name was going to be Alexi, and even now I have dreams and nightmares I’m back in Moscow, carrying him. To me, Ivar was overjoyed and thrilled that I was pregnant and he appeared to do everything in his power to protect me. He always had me guarded, had all my food inspected and made sure that everything I ate was healthy and wouldn’t hurt the baby. I craved blue raspberry slurpees like crazy. And I was going to say ‘fuck you’ to the Agency, quit and stay in Moscow forever. And then- Ivar replaced my prenatal vitamins with a Russian form of plan B, the problem was I was already 20 and a half weeks along. So I, of course, miscarried. When I went to the hospital and found out that plan B was in my system, the only thing that could be tampered with was my prenatal vitamins and I was…” Violet couldn’t help but wrack a sob before she grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was gutted and beyond betrayed when Ivar killed his own child while it was still in my womb. I almost died because I just kept on hemorrhaging. When I told my guards my suspicions because they saw how happy I was to be pregnant and they saw how hard I worked to keep pregnant and saw how careful I was and saw that I did nothing to harm Alexi, they of course turned on Ivar, who denied vehemently that he did it. But there was no one else who had access to my prenatal vitamins because he would count them every day to make sure I was taking them. And that’s why when I came home I bonded so strongly with Jack because Jack was only a toddler at the time and he was so close to what I had lost and because of the nature of the work, I couldn’t tell anyone anything. And that’s why when I came back this second time to see that you had two sons and that you weren’t with either one’s mother- it pissed me off because no child should have to pay for the sins of their parents. So, that’s why Jr. and Dillon’s trust fund is bigger than yours because what I’ve seen so far with SEB-SI is that you’re really bad with money and I needed to ensure that at least Ashley and Jr. and Dillon and Amy would be taken care of if you decided to blow what little bit of trust fund I have saved for you.” Violet insisted.  </span>
</p>
<p><span>“I was just </span><em><span>so angry</span></em><span> and disappointed that you had the one thing I thought I always wanted and you didn’t appreciate it, didn’t protect it, didn’t take care of it and I expected better from you. And I hope you take this opportunity to grow the fuck up. And mature and be a real man instead of a boy playing to the camera and the crowd and I hope you really learn how to take care of yourself and your family and even if you can’t go back and rekindle things with Ashley or Amy, at least be a good dad to Jr. and Dillon and take charge of your life instead of always reacting to whatever happens to you and always complaining about the consequences of your own actions and having to pay for them. Also, look into the way your money is managed and realize when people are taking advantage of you and could be robbing you blind and you’d never know. And use what wealth I’m leaving you and actually </span><em><span>build</span></em> <em><span>something</span></em><span> with it instead of blowing it on your whims. But don’t take my death as an excuse to YOLO your own life away and live as dangerously as I have. Use it as a reminder that even though life can be short- make your life count for something, </span><em><span>mean something.</span></em><span> I beg of you. I know you can do it. You can. Take care of Mom and Dad and Jack and Jr. and Dillon. And don’t hold the past against people who have clearly changed, and by that I mean Barret. If anything you can learn a thing or two from him about how to be a real man and take care of yourself and be self sufficient. Get yourself into some therapy. Gain maturity and perspective and grow from this and know that I still love you and nothing you have done is unforgivable. Make us all proud of you.” Violet insisted before she turned the camera off as Dash could do nothing but nod in agreement to that before he handed the phone back to Jack who in turn leaned across his mom and handed it to Barret. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet left you something in your interface at The Agency.” Jack told Barret who took the phone, signed off from Dash’s interface and logged back into his own before he saw the new email and message and put the earbuds into his own ears to see what message Violet had left him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi Barret. If you’re seeing this then I’m sorry I couldn’t get us both free but hopefully by the time you see this, your own freedom from that fucking gilded cage is in the works.” Violet said and despite everything, Barret cracked a grin and huffed a laugh through his own tears. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have you to thank the most for everything. Thanks to you, I have been reintroduced to the real me. And it’s because of your insistence, that you wanted to get to know the real Violet that I got to get to know her too and come back to her instead of always being “Miss Parr” or “Invisigirl”. I spent the last five years burying her under layers and layers of lies to the point that even I didn’t know who the real me was and I was just lost in the never ending lists of objectives and directives and missions. Then everything changed when you came back into my life and I was forced to go to the beginning of my Super career and really go through it and reflect on it and see where and how I lost myself in order to reclaim myself. I’m sorry I didn’t get to tell you more sooner, but I couldn’t risk your safety over my own clear conscience and thankfully you never pressed or pushed or prodded and you just let me unfurl on my own which helped the most. You made me feel safe and secure and because of your own history, it helped me feel less guilty over my own sins and made me feel like less of a monster, less of a weapon of mass destruction let loose on the world and less of a danger to everyone around me and you helped me feel like a person, a normal human being instead of always being a Super which I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciated and loved and adored. You made me feel like my past was a million miles away by just loving me, the whole me, even the parts of me I thought were unlovable when low and behold, you had similar parts of you that you thought were unlovable and sins that were unforgivable. It’s why we worked together, and worked so wonderfully because we were the same in that respect. And if you could come back from your own edge and not lose yourself to your past, that gave me the hope to try to not let that happen to me either. Because neither of us were lost causes.” Violet professed and Barret could see the glassiness in her eyes that she took a tissue and tried to dab away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And as much I really wanted to walk away from everything and ride off into the sunset with you, life...life obviously had other plans and I’m just sorry that my path with you ends here. Just...do me a favor, don’t try to find another me or another Tali or whatever, you deserve better honestly. Find the one who can love you no matter what, who can look at you and see Bartholomew Pine and no one else and who can give you the unconditional love you deserve, the kind of love you’ve always given me that I’ve tried to give back. And maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> build another island fortress, cut off from the rest of the world. You deserve to have family and friends and support and you’ve done the lone wolf thing long enough. Settle down with someone nice, have a family. I’m just sorry that it won’t be with me. But what’s that saying? A candle lit at both ends burns twice as brightly but for only half as long? I just hope my death won’t be nearly as traumatic for you as losing Tali was. But, before I sign off, I want you to know that every time I told you that I loved you- I meant it and it was the honest truth. I only hope that my actions said it too, the way all of yours did. I love you Bartholomew Pine, I really do.” Violet said, tears streaking down her face as she blew a kiss to the camera and shut off the recording as Barret felt like his heart was imploding as he sobbed into his hands. He never thought he would be lucky to have Tali in the first place, and he really didn’t think he was lucky enough to have Violet too and to know that his last moments with her were spent with him thinking it was all a lie hurt the most of all. He never should have believed anything on that tablet. He should have known it was a trick, a trap, a diversion. He never should have doubted her because she clearly, honestly did love him and made that abundantly clear by her actions and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she was going to survive this. He was going to invent a way to help her, heal her because he didn’t want anyone else but Violet. It was Violet or no one for him. He handed the phone back and went back to where the paramedics were trying to get Violet restablilized as the jet flew to the closest and best hospital. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sir, you should go back to your seat.” One of the medics urged. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Bartholomew Pine, I’m the one who designed the supersuit she’s wearing. Just tell me what you need to save her and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure the suit helps you. It has an AI with every medical database downloaded and it already knows Violet’s complicated medical history. Just tell me what you need.” Barret pleaded as the other medics looked at each other and knew they were already out of their depth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok, here’s what we need…” They began as Barret got shoulder to shoulder with them and worked with them and the suit to keep Violet alive the whole flight. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Violet awoke in a dark hospital room, machine’s beeping at her as own body was strangely dulled in her senses, she thought she would be in so much more pain than she was, or at least wake up in hell. But upon opening her eyes she saw Jack laying over her, asleep, clutching her hand. The poor kid looked like hell before she turned her head to see Barret in a similar state as everyone else in her family were in various chairs and couches all crammed into the room around her as she tested her hands and the moment her hands flexed around Jack and Barret’s hands did they both jerk awake and sat straight up, and their little noises of surprise sparked everyone else to jerk awake too as Violet slowly blinked her eyes open. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s waking up!” Jack announced as everyone quickly gathered all around her bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey Sweetheart.” Helen cooed to her daughter as she came over and gently pet her daughter’s head, covered in bandages as she cried tears of relief that her daughter had pulled through. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mom?” Violet asked. Not thinking that she’d ever see her mom again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Violet, I’m so proud of you, I love you so much. I’m so happy and relieved you’re alive.” Helen urged as she bent over Violet and kissed her forehead as her Dad came around the other side and hugged her as best he could, his own tears wetting her face and head and shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We were so scared, when we got an alert on our phones that you…” Her dad tried to say but choked on his own emotion. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thankfully your suit, Veronica’s suit and Dash’s suit all had homing beacons on them, so between the three suits signals, we knew right where to go to get you. But when your own suit signal was lost and we got those videos you sent to us, we were so scared you had died...thankfully Dash didn’t give up and was able to jump start you with enough static electricity to light up a town.” Helen informed her daughter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re so sorry we couldn’t get to you sooner, but we took the fastest jet we could get our hands on and once we got to you we flew right back here and you’ve been in a coma for about four days.” Bob informed her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about Larissa? Larissa...Larissa Rathgood, she’s the one that sabotaged everything. She...she’s been hiding...as Leslie Jenkins.” Violet said remembering those last moments in the plane before the explosions. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can’t find her. We don’t even know if she survived the crash. But after the accident and thanks to the videos and the account you gave us, we were able to find out exactly how she’s been able to corrupt not just things at SEB but at The Agency, right now there’s a standing kill order out for her worldwide. Barret even found a way to find all her piggy backs and found everything she’s ever touched. Turns out she’s been the snake in the grass for years, using your own blackout order to parade around as you, but because she was a super and a mimic super at that. It was so hard to see her, much less know she was there. But your own intuition saw her and caught her.” Helen urged Violet.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My head itches.” Violet complained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well you’ve had three brain surgeries. But we are just so happy you pulled through so well. Right now the doctors are trying to save your mobility because that much pressure in your brain and in your spinal cord did damage some spinal nerves. But right now the prognosis is you’ll have a decent chance at making some progress and recovering to a degree.” Helen gently broke it to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So...What does that mean?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It means you’ll be in a wheelchair, at least for a while” Barret softly informed her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, those were the chances, but...did everyone make it? Is everyone else ok?” Violet asked as everyone smiled sadly at her. Ever the hero. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, most of us had to have at least one skin graft because of that powder that Les..I mean Larissa armed into that plane, it was meant to destroy everything it touched and we were meant to hit the water, and bleed out and get eaten by the sharks or something but thanks to you, all of us made it, well, except for Larissa, which more and more, it’s looking like that’s what happened to her. But everyone else is safe. Thanks to you Violet.” Barret reassured her as he squeezed her hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why were you an ass to me?” Violet asked and Barret couldn’t help it, he barked a laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lapse in judgement, Larissa spliced video feeds and altered all kinds of things to make it look like you were going to kill us all and not lose a wink of sleep and she did it while you were out drinking with Vers and Viv. But we figured it out pretty quick that it was all her, pulling strings behind the scenes and framing you and everyone else around her.” Barret answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell me?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because I was afraid, I shouldn’t have been, but I was.” Barret confessed. “But I learned my lesson, next time anything doesn’t add up, I’ll just ask.” Barret reassured her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about Phillip?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, he’s actually in some really hot water right now. Because of your videos giving really clear, solid evidence that he’s actually a Super himself, once he was healed, The Agency took him in for questioning, aka interrogating and right about now I think he’s being tested to see exactly what powers he has and what kind of abilities he has. But the good news is, you’re officially retired and Phillip’s parents, his mother especially made sure that SEB paid out your contract for saving her son while releasing you from any further obligations towards SEB or Phillip. Despite your best intentions to give back everything, because you’re still alive, Barret and Phillip have both agreed to let you keep everything you had as of a week ago. Your apartment has been sweeped and everything Larissa ever touched has gone over again and all the surveillance and counter surveillance she installed has been uninstalled and The Agency, as an early retirement present also paid out the rest of what you were promised as well in your contract with them. But you still have all your investments and stocks and all that, although your office was cleaned out as was your saferoom. It’s all in your apartment in boxes. Vivian, Veronica, Nelson, Pike, Leland and Soche all took care of it themselves.” Helen reassured her daughter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about you?” Violet asked Barret. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, thanks your videos and proof, my own contract with SEB has been satisfied for now and is being settled and renegotiated as we speak, out of court of course and all of my stuff is still being moved out of SEB and into another place and I am no longer an employee of SEB, although I am a partner and an associate still, but you did it, we all made it out alive, thanks to you, no more gilded cages.” Barret answered before he picked up her hand and kissed the back of it sweetly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And honestly, if it wasn’t for Barret’s suit, you would have been a goner, so we’re all grateful to him for designing you the perfect suit for your last mission.” Helen insisted as everyone nodded their agreement to that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Finally you find a decent one hun.” Bob said as he clasped Barret’s shoulder and gave it a good squeeze which got Violet to grin tiredly but happily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From there, it was a blur of doctors, nurses, medicines, tests and diagnosis for a couple weeks while Violet recovered. But Violet was remarkably accepting and just so happy not to be dead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So where did you end up moving to?” Violet asked Barret as he wheeled her around the hospital to the hospital’s little garden so she could get some fresh air after she had been discharged from the ICU and put into a regular hospital room, although it was one of the hospital’s VIP rooms, Phillip and his family made sure of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This little apartment, it’s in Skyway, it’s right across the hall from you, didn’t know if you’d be cool with me moving in or not.” Barret answered as he put her next to a bench and sat down himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gonna need you to go ahead and move in with me because you’re the only one who has gone through something like this before and managed to make a full recovery. I’m going to need a lot of help.” Violet pleaded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got it.” Barret readily agreed before he kissed the back of her hand again sweetly then made the phone call to Nelson who officially had resigned from Phillip’s security detail and had gotten immediately hired by Barret as his own handler/assistant along with Soche, Leland and Pike before he requested that all of his things be brought over to Violet’s apartment by them which they were happy to do, along with his friends. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So I had an idea.” Barret suggested when he got off the phone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that would be?” Violet asked as she drank down her coffee. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think you should get a service dog. Because that’s what I did and how I got through my own ordeal. Granted Bugs died just a couple of years ago and I miss him something awful. But having him really helped me.” Barret suggested as he took a sip of his own coffee. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thank that would be really nice actually.” Violet agreed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then there’s this one other thing I’d like to do when you’re up for it.” Barret added. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what would that be?” Violet asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want to marry you.” Barret insisted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well isn’t that a coincidence, I want to marry you too.” Violet beamed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But I would prefer to try at least be able to walk down the aisle to you and I want my hair to at least try to regrow because they whacked a good chunk of it off with my surgeries. The doctors said the suit helped so much that my chances of gaining my full mobility are at 60% which is really good odds, you know, considering. But if you could give me like six months to a year or so, and if I can, I can, if I can’t and if I get to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, then that’s what will happen. I’m sure Jack will design a wedding dress for me and the wheelchair.” Violet proposed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Deal.” Barret grinned. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>One more chapter after this. This has been so fun and I'm so happy and content with how this story has turned out and I'm so happy I decided to breathe in new life to this story. Because it deserved it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. I Do.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A little over a year later, the couple say I do. With surprising wedding guests.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Why So Jaded </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chapter 19</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One year, three months and 12 days later-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jack, seriously, it’s perfect.” Violet said as Jack, with a needle and white thread stitched one last tac onto the train of Violet’s wedding dress as Violet and her bridesmaids all gathered in the small room in the back of the church while Barret and Violet’s guests arrived for her wedding as Barret was happily greeting everyone while Nelson and his team double checked that only guests invited came near the church, let alone in it while other security surrounded the church protectively, all of them armed to the teeth and most of the guest list were actually Supers and their families from The Agency along with Barret’s friends and his mom and step dad. Even Natalia showed up with her now three children and husband along with Ziva and her husband and their children, all of them choosing to sit on Violet’s side of course.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack and Edna had thrown themselves into making Violet the perfect wedding dresses for over a year. One for the ceremony and one for the reception along with Violet’s bridesmaid’s dresses. Vivian needing the most work on hers since she was now six months along, carrying her husband Dash’s daughter while Ashley and Amy had also gotten remarried and were also expecting again themselves. Vivian had retired as a dancer from Lotus and instead had become a maternity model and the wedding photographer was a friend of hers and these wedding photos could be in any magazine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even Fates, aka Cindy from Vegas came, and apparently, the Long Island thing was genuine and that had just been the real her then and she was sitting on Violet’s side but grinning ear to ear as she came up to Barret. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to see you again Mr. Lumberyard.” She cooed at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh Jesus, hi.” Barret laughed before she pulled him into a hug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see you took my advice.” She beamed proudly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes I did. And you were right.” Barret had to nod. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I was right! I’m a psychic. And you know, because it’s your wedding day, your father told me to tell you that he is so proud of you for finding the right girl and settling down with her and leaving all that vengeance behind. But you are now the perfect setting for your emerald and today your emerald finds her forever setting and get ready to have a lot of mini emeralds.” Cindy hinted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like..how many mini emeralds?” Barret asked curiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now where is the fun in that if I tell you? You did good Mr. Lumberyard. I better be invited to the first baby shower though.” She insisted as she wagged her finger before she turned and got a good seat while others came up to say hi before the wedding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile in the back room-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m almost done, give me like six stitches.” Jack insisted as he quickly stitched it in place before snipping the thread off and readjusting the train one more time, making sure it was perfectly symmetrical. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Violet was just grateful her hair grew back, the incisions on her head long since healed. The journey to walk again had been a much harder road than she thought it would be but Barret had been there with her for every step of the way and had given her the tough love she asked for or the comfort or support she needed and especially thanks to McKensie, the service dog that Barret and Violet got, who was currently sitting on a dog bed as she occasionally looked over at Violet to make sure she was ok. But also thanks to McKensie, Violet made wonderful progress all while Barret undertook building their dream house, just outside of Metroville, in the same housing development that Edna lived in and Edna was grateful that they would be neighbors because she despised everyone else in the neighborhood as Edna came to the wedding in one of her own new signature looks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even Phillip came with his family and his new wife- Phoebe who was officially four months pregnant herself. She had been Veronica’s pick as her own replacement since Veronica was happy to just train handlers for SEB-SI stateside. Phoebe, who’s Super persona had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>Angel Wings</span>
  </em>
  <span> because her super power was a set of pearl white wings that she used to fly and shield and when not in use, the wings simply shrunk down to a tattoo on her back and had just transferred from The Agency’s branch in London, since she was from England herself. But she was Phillip’s type, blonde, petite, strong, smart and as lethal as she was beautiful and now that Phillip was also recognized as a Super himself, his Super persona being </span>
  <em>
    <span>Charisma</span>
  </em>
  <span>, because he had no other choice if he wanted to keep his head, things had settled down for him as much as they could. Violet and himself had given each other the closure they needed to move on and Phillip, recognizing that his own behavior and actions had been out of line, he accepted the circumstances for what they were and had apologized for his past actions, especially once it proven that the ‘suicide seed’ had not been his doing, but rather Larissa’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There, done.” Jack announced once he was done re-fluffing her train for the eighth time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Violet thanked him before her wedding planner came in to check up on her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh aren’t you just a vision!” Angie praised. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s it looking out there?” Violet asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s looking great, almost all of the guests are already here, we’re just about ten minutes away from show time.” Angie informed them before she left and gathered Barret and put him at the alter with the reverend and took all of his groomsman and took them back with her as all the guests got settled down to wait for the ceremony. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Natalia was surprised by how emotional she felt as she sat there and watched Barret simply stand there, looking remarkably handsome in his navy blue suit and rose gold silk tie, thanks to Black Orchid as she looked over to see Mr. Sudwar look especially proud of his work as he chose to sit on the groom’s side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But with Tali’s  littlest one in her arms, and her other children on either side of her and her husband just beyond that, she realized that she never did have the power to change him from what he was to who he was now. But she was happy he had changed for the better. And she was especially happy that Violet, her greatest protege yet, who had now had a short but impressive career, got to enjoy him now. She was relieved that Violet retired when she did and could now settle down and have a family of her own and from where Violet was about a year ago, Violet too had gone through a transformation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From shy school girl, to blossoming ballerina, to professional femme fatal, to now, just a seemingly normal but still ever beautiful, remarkable, accomplished young woman. Violet had just about seen and done it all, including coming back from disaster and the point of no return. Two years prior Violet had just wanted to do this one last job and then disappear forever and never be found again. When in reality, she had never wanted to be used as a weapon again or found by the wrong people to be pulled into a world she didn’t want to be in anymore. But to be found by</span>
  <em>
    <span> the right person</span>
  </em>
  <span>, to be found as human being and not as anything else, perfectly imperfect as she was and to simply </span>
  <em>
    <span>be</span>
  </em>
  <span> instead of always expected to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and live in peace and appreciated and taken care of and looked after lovingly, with respect and dignity. That’s what she needed all along. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you girls ready? It’s showtime.” Bob reminded them as he came back and adjusted himself in his own blue suit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Violet insisted as she helped Vivian stand up and slip back into her shoes as the others did the same and straightened up since Vivian was Violet’s matron of honor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are my little security men ready?” Violet cooed to Dillon and Jr. Who were dressed up like little security guards there to walk Vivian’s niece Charity, who was the flower girl down the aisle since each of them were carrying security cases with the rings in them. Dash Jr. carrying Violet’s wedding band and Dillon carrying Barret’s wedding band as they eagerly nodded before the procession went ahead and walked down the aisle before it was Dillon, Jr. and Charity’s turn before it was finally Violet and her father’s turn and Barret, could not help himself. He cried. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because he couldn’t believe that he was so lucky. That a woman, that amazing and strong and fearless and selfless would want him. Would willingly and happily choose him. Like a fine emerald finally finding its setting, not too tight, not loose, just right as Violet was now wearing a gorgeous  emerald necklace, set in rose gold around her throat, one Barret and Violet had gotten just for this occasion. Barret had of course splurged and gotten her quite the necklace for this occasion. But otherwise it was a navy and rose gold themed wedding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Barret thankfully had a handkerchief handy to dab at his eyes because he didn’t want to miss a second of this. Violet was all he ever wanted or needed for the rest of his life and even though they had a complicated past. Their future was clear and bright. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today….”  Reverend Lewis began as Violet tried not to cry because Barret was crying. Grateful to be standing, remembering all the days and nights, he had her arm around his neck and shoulders and his arm around her waist to keep her up as he was her crutch and walking with her, just to get her to the bathroom and back or laying on the floor with her when her body would temporarily remember how to work and she’d be able to stand up and take two steps before it would remember it was broken again and she’d collapse on the floor. Or taking up massage lessons so he could help her identify nerve dermatomes that would cut in and out on her body where one section would be numb but functional or have feeling but no function or be too painful to move or be numb and have no function because for months after the crash she kept have issues with the spinal fluid pressure which in turn put strain on her nerves, particularly the ones in her lower body and how every moment of every day was different, some were good but most were bad in the beginning, but no matter how frustrated she got, no matter how angry or upset or even grumpy or grouchy or snappy. Barret would inevitably, patiently, calmly, be there no matter what and helped her overcome her obstacles and slowly but surely, more and more good days started happening, more and more progress was made. And while there were times that felt like for every step forward she made two or three steps back, they still made progress and slowly but surely, she got better, thanks to Barret’s medicines and other procedures, she got better and got back to what Violet viewed was her new normal. And granted, she got to unlock even more new powers while her other powers became more fine tuned and even more sensitive.  Violet was happy that she never had to use them again, not unless she wanted to use them. But thanks to the procedures, she now could use her powers without pain or other negative side effects. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now if you would repeat after me.” Reverend Lewis invited after the boys got their rings out of their little cases as Violet and Barret both picked up the other’s ring.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With this ring, I Bartholomew Pine,” Reverend began. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With this ring, I Bartholomew Pine.” Barret repeated as he slipped the ring onto Violet’s hand and then held her hand tightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take you, Violet Parr to be my wedded wife.” Reverend continued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take you, Violet Parr to be my wedded wife.” Barret barely got to repeat as he struggled to keep his emotion from completely choking out his voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To live together after God’s ordinance in the holy relationship of marriage.” the Reverand specified. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To live together after God’s ordinance in the holy relationship of holy matriarchy I mean matrimony, matrimony.” Barret nervously said which got a snort from Dash. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Close enough.” Reverend decided which earned a chuckle from the congregation of guests as even Violet giggled just a little and squeezed his hands reassuringly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise to love and comfort you, honor and keep you, forsaking all others.” Reverend Lewis continued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise and swear to love you, comfort you, and honor you, and keep you, forsaking all others.” Barret continued as Violet simply smiled adoringly at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will be yours alone, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.”  Reverend Lewis prompted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will be yours alone, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.” Barret finished, grateful he didn’t mess up at least the last part. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, repeat after me. With this ring, I Violet Parr.” Reverend Lewis prompted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With this ring, I Violet Parr.” Violet repeated as she slipped Barret’s ring onto his own finger before holding onto his hands tightly with both of hers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take you, Bartholomew Pine.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take you Bartholomew Pine.” Violet repeated, giving Barret’s hands a grounding squeeze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To be my wedded husband.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To be my wedded husband.” Violet echoed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To live together, after God’s ordinance in the holy relationship of marriage.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To live together, after God’s ordinance in the holy relationship of marriage.” Violet repeated, not taking her eyes off of Barrets as she could see that Barret was trying his best not to sob as she was trying everything in her power not to cry either.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise to love and comfort you, honor and keep you, forsaking all others.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise to love and comfort you, honor and keep you, forsaking all others.” Violet insisted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will be yours alone, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will be yours alone, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.” Violet finished, breathing a breath of relief that they had gotten through that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You may now kiss the bride.” Reverend Lewis invited before they did. It was, for the most part, a rather chaste kiss for the church but soon everyone was applauding before Barret and Violet walked arm in arm back down the aisle with their wedding party following them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phillip sat there, feeling a little bittersweet about it but mostly happy and grateful. Granted he had felt that he loved Violet, at least adored her a great deal. But had that been him getting married to her today, he would have missed out on Sophie. And while Violet seemed to fit his “dream girl” aspirations, that wasn’t the true or real Violet and who Violet was now, was nothing like the woman he had once thought he knew. Sophie though, Sophie was perfect from the start and if Phillip had thought he had had chemistry before with Violet, it was nothing compared to the chemistry he had with Sophie. And while Violet had made an exquisite bride. In his opinion, he was grateful that she wasn’t his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the reception, as Barret and Violet were dancing together, one of their last dances of the night, with Violet resting her head on his shoulder as he simply held her and swayed to the soft music as Violet watched her grandparents and parents dancing, hoping that that would one day be her and Barret, older, grayer, probably fatter, but happy. No matter how jaded she had become, she was happy, and grateful that at least now, she tempered it with hope, and trust, patience, love, kindness, respect, dignity and perseverance. With Barret she didn’t have to worry about his fidelity or distrust his intentions. Quite the opposite. She trusted him wholly and completely. Without reserve. And loved him unconditionally because he loved her as such as well and he proved with his actions, who and what he was. Hers. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm so happy I chose to redo this. But alas. It is done. It was a good ride while it lasted. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and all the kudos. I hope this was the sweet comfort to all of that hurt and worth it. And satisfying.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ok, so I have this Synlet oneshot over on FFN called Say It. Say It is dark and angsty and brutal and that's probably what people loved about it because most of us were in an emo phase at the time and while it's still getting hits to this day because it's angst smut in all honesty. THIS ONE. Why So Jaded was and is my favorite Synlet work I ever wrote besides all the fluffy oneshots. However when I wrote it several years ago- I got burned out and abandoned it with a shoddy ending and I always felt bad and guilty for it because it had so much promise to be great but my skills as a writer then were still being built and honed (still are). And when I got a review alert in my email about Say It, I , out of nostalgia, reread this particular story and cringed. (as most authors usually do when reading old works) But instead of deleting it. I wanted to revive it. And breathe new life into it and do it the justice it deserved and even if no one else will read this. And even if everyone who ever was secretly or not- a Synlet shipper ignore it, that's fine. I still love it. And breathing new life into it has made me happy and given me a sense of pride and I want to make this into the gem it always was in my eyes and in my heart.<br/>That and this story is how I'm staying sane during COVID. Because I graduated school (I'm now officially an LMT- Licensed Massage Therapist) but because of the hands on nature of the work (which I love and I'm naturally heavy handed and I'm really really good at it) and my pre- existing health conditions and compromised immune system- I'm not working and I'm still a stay at home wife and mother which is still one of the most noble professions in my book and I've always used writing as a creative outlet and one that's keeping me sane during these difficult times. And if anyone reads this and does enjoy it and it gives them just a small, welcome break from a harsh reality. Then that's all I can hope for.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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